Ron Stallworth, born in 1953, is the first, and almost certainly the only, black man to be inducted as a full member of the Ku Klux Klan.
He grew up in El Paso, Texas, was popular and an excellent student. After graduation, the family moved to Colorado where Ron became interested in law enforcement and was the first black man to join the Colorado Springs Police Department.
Ron was very interested in working undercover, so he joined the branch of the police that deals with smuggling agents into the ranks of organized crime.
Ron as a young policeman
Interesting ad
In 1978, when he was 25, Ron saw a classified ad in a newspaper.
He solicited members for a new chapter of the Ku Klux Klan, whose racist organization was trying to expand its work in Colorado Springs.
The police were aware of these actions of the KKK and wanted to do everything to keep the hatred of the organization away from the city.
No phone number or address was given, only a PO Box, and Ron responded to the ad, giving them his real name, address and phone number.
The Klanners don’t seem to have had much ambition, concern or desire to investigate this information further, it’s not unlikely that the lack of answers is to blame and the racists are just happy to get answers .
Ku Klux Klan
A swimming pool like the wind
One of the Ku Klux Klan members soon called Ron who gave a long speech about how much he hated black people, Mexicans, Jews and Asians. In fact, anyone but white.
During the call, Ron learned that the Ringlander was high up in the military, stationed at an army base just outside of town. The man wanted to meet Ron at a nearby bar and Ron accepted the offer.
Obviously, he did not attend the meeting himself. Ron told his white colleague the exact details of the conversation, and he went to meet the soldier, well wired for the recording equipment. He was one of the few who knew about Ron’s deception, even his superiors had no knowledge of Ron’s actions.
Wanted to become a full member
The meeting also went well and Ron continued to be in regular telephone contact with the various members of the Ku Klux Klan. He even sent a formal request to become a full member of the association.
It happened that they wanted to meet him, then the same colleague always went to his place and continued to record all the conversations.
When the hate organization’s membership card failed to arrive after several weeks, Ron took it upon himself to call none other than David Duke, the Supreme Commander of the Ku Klux Klan in the United States.
Ron had then a good reputation as a “true white soldier in the race war” which he put in contact with Duke, which was far from easy.
David Duke
They talked for a long time and Duke was very impressed by this enthusiastic young man who seemed so devoted to the cause.
He praised Ron for his intelligence, said the excellence of the young men, and that he would personally see that the application was expedited and the membership card sent to him.
And Duke kept his word. Within days, Ron received an auspicious sign that he had become a respected member of the Ku Klux Klan, signed by none other than David Duke himself.
Ron found this line amusing and hung the document on the wall.
I never said anything
As a result, the investigation into the KKK invasion in Colorado Springs ended, as few people had shown interest in joining this non-national group.
Ron never told anyone about his initiative. He moved to Utah and worked in law enforcement until his retirement in 2005, after a 20-year career as a detective.
He then went to college and earned a degree in criminal justice.
Ron yesterday and today
In 2006, Ron Stallworth finally appeared in an interview and told the whole solar story. Also what nobody knew.
It turned out that Ron had not only found out that a high-ranking soldier was a member of the KKK, but many other high-ranking individuals, both inside and outside the military. All were expelled from their positions, with shit and shame.
Ron wrote a book about his Ku Klux Klan connections in 2014 and it was made into a movie, BlacKkKlansman, directed by Spike Lee, four years later.
The book was turned into a movie
David Duke has always refused to discuss his relationship with Ron Stallworth because he has become a laughing stock, not just in the United States, but around the world.
But the certificate still hangs on the wall and Ron still thinks it’s funny.
