Brainfullofbooks

BlackKlansman, the novel has been made into blackKKKlansman the award-winning movie.  Said movie recently showed up on Netflix and the second I watched it I knew I needed to read this book.  So, I instantly got a copy and binged the whole thing in just three days.  For those of you who don’t know, this book is about the first black detective in Colorado Springs.  He learns that the KKK is trying to form a chapter in his town thanks to an ad in the local newspaper.  Unbelievably he answers it, and even more shockingly he gets a response: and so, begins the incredible tale of a black police officer infiltrating the KKK.  Of course, the film is similar to the book . . . but, as is always the case, they have their differences.  So, those who have watched the movie miss out on a few things to do with the real-life investigation.

One of the things that I noticed was how different the response to the ad was.  The movie made it seem like the KKK just put an ad for recruitment in the local paper and no one but Ron Stallworth cared.  In actuality, a lot of people cared: and they were very vocal about their objection to the clan taking up residence in their town.  As Stallworth himself puts it, a whole “Alphabet soup” of social justice groups stepped forward to campaign against them.  Whatever they stood for—in this case—they had one goal: rejecting the Klan.  There were rallies and protests and marches. Not only that but Ron Stallworth had so many offers of help from community organizations it was impossible to keep track.  He kindly rejected all of them, but the fact is he had more help than he could use and most importantly: people cared.  They heard about it, were rightfully disgusted and there was overt resistance to Klan presence in Colorado Springs.

            Most of all I was shocked to learn that the investigation was much bigger than just the KKK.  They may have been the main focus but in probing them Stallworth actually had to infiltrate and keep an eye on many other organizations.  Most of them were other white supremacist groups like the American Nazi Party and the Comitatus.  But incredibly he had to keep an eye on the good guys as well.  More than once during the course of the investigation he had to go undercover to the meetings of the very people who were protesting the KKK.  It hadn’t occurred to me that they might be a threat or would be worth watching but apparently, they were.  He also crossed lines and broadened the investigation in other ways.

            Naturally an investigation that large would spill beyond the bounds of the Colorado Springs police and intersect with other federal organizations. So, along with the social justice groups Stallworth had to field calls from federal agencies as well. Most simply wanted to hear about the operation he was running. However, some genuinely offered their assistance if he ever needed it.  While Stallworth turned down many offers of help from numerous government agencies, he did accept some others.  Though in a few cases he had little choice. Still, Federal organizations assisted his undercover operation at several points and the journey even took him to one of the most secure locations in the United States.  Which shows just how expansive this investigation was and how far reaching: this didn’t just affect one small town in the Midwest but pervaded to the highest security levels in the United States.   

  To me this is one of those books that everyone should read once in their lives because—unfortunately—it is still very much relevant to our day and age.  As Stallworth himself says “Our history is always our present.”.  I couldn’t help but cheer when I read that: because he’s right.  Our history has always been our present and always will be, but unfortunately, that rings even more true in this case.  Racism, hate and bias are still very much alive and well in this day and age.  White supremacist groups still exist, threatening the peace and livelihood of good people even at this very moment.  There are various groups attacking, protesting, or speaking out against others.  We see it on the news, we see it on social media, and we see it with the protests on college campuses and streets across the United States!  The issues prevalent in this book are more important now than ever.  So, at the very least if you don’t read the book—watch the movie, though the book is more than worth reading.  Hearing what happened from Stallworth himself, in his own words, is nothing short of extraordinary.