Black Klansman: El Pasoan shares his story of infiltrating the KKK

Forty years ago an El Pasoan in Colorado Springs would be the first black detective in the police department, and he would work to infiltrate the Ku Klux Klan.

Ron Stallworth was in El Paso signing copies of his book, Black Klansman, ahead of its movie’s release.

Stallworth spoke to the crowd in the bookstore, telling bookbuyers how he infiltrated the KKK with the help of a white narcotics officer, a seven month operation that ousted soldiers as members of the Klan.

The book was chosen by Spike Lee to make a movie out of it, releasing next month.
Stallworth said the movie is accurate enough for people to learn about the Klan investigation.
That investigation, he said, was simply him being a cop.

“I was simply doing my job. There was no big moment or anything, no ulterior motive behind it. I wasn’t trying to make a statement, I was simply doing my job to the best of my ability,’ he said.

When asked what message he has with the resurgence of white supremacy in America, he said they never left.

“Now we’re seeing lots and lots of activity on their part and they’re not being denounced, so what can your generation learn from it? Your generation can learn that in order to fight this they have to get involved. They have to go to the polls, they have to go to the voting booth and vote to make a difference,” he said.

The book singing is over but Literarity Bookshop in west El Paso does have signed copies left in stock.

The movie Black Klansman releases August 10th.