Can you believe that a black man talked 200 KKK members out of the klan? Hear how Daryl Davis managed to do it in this Incredible Critical Thinking Stories episode.
For years I used to have a lack of critical thinking myself. I used to believe many things which had little evidence or truth behind them. These beliefs led me to decisions which did not turn out to my favor. Eventually I discovered critical thinking and changed my life for the better. Now I choose what I believe in with much more care. Make better, more informed decisions and enjoy the results. Yet it doesn’t take much time to see that many people still fail to separate true information from false. That’s why I created the Practical Critical Thinkers channel.
If you are looking for a critical thinking channel - look no more and let's create a culture of practical thinking together!
In this channel you will learn what is critical thinking, various critical thinking skills, find critical thinking exercises, learn how to use critical thinking in a debate, learn about the best critical thinking books out there, find critical thinking tutorials what results a lack of critical thinking has and much more.
Meet Daryl Davis. He has a closet full of KKK member outfits. But they're not his own.
They used to belong to now former Ku Klux Klan members that he single-handedly convinced to
give up their robes. How did he do it you ask? Daryl has been a pianist for most of his life.
In 1983 he was playing at a bar where he was the only black man present. After he finished
performing an older man came up to him. The man said to Daryl that he had never seen a black man
Davis chuckled. He then explained that Jerry Lee Lewis was influenced by the same black
boogie woogie and blues piano players as he was. The older gentleman couldn't believe it.
Daryl then continued to tell him that Jerry Lewis was actually a good friend of his.
The man could not believe that either. But he was fascinated.
The listener invited Daryl for a drink. After they sat down he confessed
you know this is the first time I ever sat down and had a drink with a black person.
Daryl became curious and asked why. The attendee explained that it was because he was a Ku Klux
Klan member. That got Davis laughing. He thought KKK members don't buy drinks to black men.
Then the man reached into his pocket. He took out a wallet and pulled a Klan membership card.
Daryl's laugh immediately turned silent. Yet the story of how he met a Klan member for the
first time in his life does not yet explain how he was able to convince so many of them
to give up their ways. My favorite story of how he did it is this one. In one of many Daryl's
adventures he ended up with a Klan member sitting in his passenger seat. When Davis asked the member
what made him dislike black people he answered. Well we all know that black people have within
them a gene that makes them violent. Daryl turned to him as he was driving and said wait a minute
I'm as black as anybody you've ever seen. I have never done a carjacking or a drive-by.
How do you explain that? The man didn't even pause for a second to think about it and said
your gene is latent. It hasn't come out yet. Daryl found himself dumbfounded. He did not have any
immediate response. Meanwhile his passenger sat proud of himself smiling. He told Davis see you
have no response. Yet after a moment a response came. Daryl turned back to him and answered. Well
we all know that all white people have a gene within them that makes them a serial killer.
The passenger was confused and asked what do you mean? Daryl answered well name me three black
serial killers. The Klan member thought about it and could not do it. Davis then said Ted Bundy,
Jeffrey Dahmer, Charles Manson, John Wayne Gacy. All whites. Son you are a serial killer. The man
responded Daryl I've never killed anybody. Then Daryl answered your gene is latent. It hasn't
come out yet. Well that's stupid the KKK member said. Well duh yes. Daryl continued but you know
what you're right what I said was stupid but no more stupid than what you said to me. After that
the passenger got very very quiet and changed the subject. Five months later he left the Klan. His
robe was the first robe Daryl ever got. Once asked to explain how he changed so many KKK members
Daryl explained you challenge them but you don't challenge them rudely or violently. You do it
politely and intelligently and when you do things that way chances are they will reciprocate and
give you a platform. So he and I would sit down and listen to one another over a period of time
and the cement that held his ideas together began to get cracks in it and then it began to crumble
and then it fell apart. Did you know that once a Pokemon episode sent hundreds of people into
epileptic seizures? If you're interested to know why click on this box right here. Thank you for
watching this critical thinking story. Until next time I wish you to keep questioning.
