When Ron Stallworth responded to a newspaper ad for the Ku Klux Klan, he said he was just a cop doing his job.
The job was in the intelligence division of the Colorado Springs Police Department, where Stallworth was the first African-American detective. What ensued became the inspiration for Spike Lee’s new movie, Blackkklansman, based on Stallworth’s memoir, Black Klansman: Race, Hate, and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime.
Over the course of his investigation, Stallworth had numerous conversations with white supremacists over the phone – including with former KKK Grand Wizard David Duke himself – and eventually gained membership in the organization (he still carries his membership card in his wallet to this day).
When it came time to meet face-to-face, one of Stallworth’s white colleagues would portray him in the field.
He says the investigation helped prevent several cross burnings, gathered information on potential terrorist attacks, and identified two white supremacists who worked for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD).
Stallworth will appear for a Q&A and book signing following a sold-out screening of the film Thursday, Aug. 23, at the Alamo Drafthouse in Katy.
In the audio above, the El Paso native tells Houston Matters producer Michael Hagerty about the investigation and his story’s relevance today.