El Paso 2019: Ron Stallworth, Black Klansman

Ron Stallworth, El Paso, Texas. February 2019.

I was lucky enough to be in the El Paso area to see Ron Stallworth speak at the local Barnes & Noble.

Ron Stallworth holding up his KKK membership card, El Paso, Texas. February 2019.

Mr. Stallworth is the author of Black Klansman, which Spike Lee interpreted in his movie, BlackkKlansman.

Ron Stallworth and Patsy Terrazas-Stallworth, El Paso, Texas. February 2019.

I watched the movie with fellow members of the Ferguson Municipal Library book club, Readings on Race. So it was especially nice to have my spheres - Ferguson, Missouri, and El Paso, Texas - connect.

Ron Stallworth and Patsy Terrazas-Stallworth, El Paso, Texas. February 2019.

The day I heard Mr. Stallworth was a couple of days before Donald Trump's visit to El Paso. Mr. Stallworth references this upcoming visit, and Trump, in the two pieces I filmed below:

Mr. Stallworth draws a straight line between David Duke, the KKK, and Donald Trump.

Now, Ron Stallworth points out the lack of intelligence on the part of the Colorado KKK folks he infiltrated. He suggests that modern-day white supremacists are also not-bright.

Whether he's right or not, I can't say.

What I can say is this: Stupid people can maim and kill just fine. Heck, brainless bacteria and viruses have brought down billions of humans over the millennia. They have done so despite the efforts of brilliant human minds.

I might almost argue that one must fear so-called stupids more than so-called smart people.

Ron Stallworth and his wife, Patsy Terraza-Stallworth, distributed pins that said: "Infiltrate Hate." It feels good to wear mine.