Black Klansman 1979—Read about the Author —The Root
Sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction.
Retired police Sgt. Ron Stallworth’s story—about how he, a black undercover Colorado cop, infiltrated one of the nation’s most notorious hate groups in 1978—is one such truth. Stallworth, 61, recently released the book Black Klansman, detailing his amazing story during his early years of service.
“I was sitting in my office reading the newspaper,” Stallworth, who now lives in Utah, told The Root. “I was going through the classified section, and on this particular day there was an ad that said ‘Ku Klux Klan.’ “
It listed a post office box to send inquiries, and so he wrote a letter, identifying himself as a white man and peppering the note with racial slurs. The undercover officer, who was still in his 20s at the time, did make one crucial mistake, however: He signed the letter with his real name. He wasn’t too worried, though, since he figured the whole setup was probably a joke.
It wasn’t until he got a phone call a week later from the local KKK organizer about starting a Colorado Springs chapter that he realized how serious the ad was.
More: Meet the Black Officer Who Went Undercover as a KKK Member - the Root