The power of dialogue: ASU welcomes musician, activist Daryl Davis
Lecture and performance by Davis to occur March 19, hosted by Lincoln Center of Applied Ethics
The Lincoln Center of Applied Ethics will welcome Daryl Davis to Arizona State University this spring.
Daryl Davis is a renowned pianist, having graduated from Howard University with a degree in Jazz. For 32 years, he toured with Chuck Berry, known as the "Father of Rock 'n' Roll," as the band’s pianist. In addition to touring internationally with The Daryl Davis Band, he has performed alongside blues and R&B legends like Jerry Lee Lewis, B.B. King and Percy Sledge. In 2009, he received the award for Best Traditional Blues/R&B Instrumentalist at the Washington Area Music Awards.
Davis’ accomplishments go far beyond his musical talents. He is also known for his unique form of activism wherein he meets and converses with members of the white nationalist group known as the Ku Klux Klan. Since 1990, he has inspired over 200 people to leave the group simply by sitting down and starting a dialogue with them, often stating that “the music ... brought us together.”
He recounts his first encounter with racism at just 10 years old, when he was attacked as the only Black member of an all-white Boy Scouts troop. A question began to nag at him: “How can they hate me when they don't even know me?” Decades later, with this question as a guide, Davis sought to connect with KKK members through honest conversations and understanding. Even when it seemed like they had nothing in common, he believed that every human being wants to be loved, respected and heard.
“The lesson learned,” Davis explains, “is ignorance breeds fear. If you don’t keep that fear in check, that fear will breed hatred. If you don’t keep hatred in check, it will breed destruction.”
Davis discusses the soulful successes and intense challenges of this work in multiple books, the most recent one being "The Klan Whisperer," as well as the award-winning documentary "Accidental Courtesy."
Daryl Davis will be at ASU on Thursday, March 19. His talk, "Klan We Talk?: A Black musician and a Klan leader walk into a room" will begin with a reception, followed by a lecture and a special collaborative performance with ASU students from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Find out more and register here.