Black Klansman: Race, Hate and the Undercover Investigation of a Lifetime by Ron Stallworth
Reviewed by: Melissa Friedlund, Reference Assistant
Genre: Memoir/Autobiographical
Suggested Age: Adult
What is the book about? In 1978, Detective Ron Stallworth, the first black detective in the Colorado Springs police department responded to a classified ad in the newspaper about learning more about the Ku Klux Klan. Little did he realize that the person who placed the ad was completely serious and actually connected to the Klan. This autobiographical account details his experience conducting an undercover investigation into the Klan’s presence in his community, while keeping the fact of his African heritage a secret from them.
My Review: I listened to the e-audiobook on hoopla, read by the author. Hearing how Detective Stallworth practically stumbled into the Klan, makes it almost seem as if the whole thing is fiction. However, I was soon rooting for Stallworth to find a way to thwart plans for cross burnings, as well as hoping David Duke wouldn’t recognize his voice when they met in person. I enjoyed learning how his short-lived investigation was able to deny the Klan a foothold in his community while it lasted. If you are sensitive to four letter words or the N word, be warned, those are prevalent here. Since this was autobiographical, I knew the profanity was not about sensationalism, but realism.
Three Words That Describe This Book: Surprising, Straight-Forward, Pared-Down
Give This a Try if You Like… BlacKkKlansman (the movie), How Not to Get Shot by D.L. Hughley, and Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow
Rating: 4/5
About FDL Reads
FDL Reads is a series of weekly book reviews from Fondulac District Library.
