Ron Stallworth
Ron Stallworth
Ron Stallworth is a law enforcement veteran and the first Black detective in the Colorado Springs Police Department. He has worked undercover narcotics, vice, criminal intelligence, and organized crime beats in four states. His #1 New York Times bestselling book, Black Klansman: A Memoir, is the basis for the major motion picture BlacKkKlansman, written and directed by Spike Lee and starring John David Washington and Adam Driver. The film received six nominations at the 91st Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor, and won the award for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film also earned four nominations at the 76th Golden Globe Awards, including Best Motion Picture – Drama.
In 1978, Ron worked undercover and infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan chapter in Colorado Springs. By recruiting his partner Chuck to play the “white” Ron Stallworth in person, while speaking as himself to Klan members over the phone, Ron helped sabotage cross burnings, expose white supremacists in the military, and combat domestic terrorism. Even more incredibly, Ron also befriended (and fooled) Grand Wizard David Duke. Later on, Ron led an undercover investigation into the anti-Klan protesters of the Progressive Labor Party.
Raised in El Paso, Texas, Ron received his B.A. in Criminal Justice Administration from Columbia College in 2007. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the 1998 Outstanding National Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Gang Crime Research Center. His media appearances include interviews with MSNBC, CNN, NPR, BBC, Vice magazine, Daily Mail, and more. In addition to Black Klansman, Ron is also the author of Bringing the Noise: Gangster-Reality Rap and the Dynamics of Black Social Revolution and Gangsta Code: The Sociological Implications of Gangster Rap Music and Hip Hop Culture.
Hardcover
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New York Times bestselling author of Black Klansman, Ron Stallworth, returns with another firsthand account of trailblazing police work in the most unlikely place for a Black cop in the ’90s....Read More
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Trade Paperback
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The extraordinary true story and basis for the Academy Award winning film BlacKkKlansman, written and directed by Spike Lee, produced by Jordan Peele, and starring John David Washington and Adam Driver....Read More
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Black Klansman: How Ron Stallworth Infiltrated the KKK
In 1978, when detective Ron Stallworth discovered a classified ad in the local paper recruiting for the Ku Klux Klan, he responded, using his real name while posing as a white man. He asked his partner Chuck to play the “white” Ron Stallworth for in-person meetings, while Stallworth himself conducted all phone conversations. During the months-long investigation, Stallworth sabotaged cross burnings, exposed white supremacists in the military, and even befriended and served on the security detail for David Duke. In this talk, Stallworth tells the story of his KKK infiltration, touching on his motivations, doubts, fears, and triumphs throughout the process.
Race and Law Enforcement
Ron Stallworth was the first Black detective in the history of the Colorado Springs Police Department. He overcame many obstacles, including prejudice from members of his own force and the difficulty of impersonating a KKK member. Stallworth offers insights on the intersections of race and law enforcement: how they have changed in some ways and stayed the same in others. Stallworth draws on both his own experiences and historical and current events.
“Ron Stallworth joins Tavis Smiley”
“‘Gangs of Zion’ is about speaking truth to power, says author Ron Stallworth”
“When toxic masculinity wears a badge”
“Ron Stallworth vs. the Salt Lake City Underworld”
“In ‘The Gangs of Zion,’ El Paso cop Ron Stallworth fights crime in Mormon country”
“Q&A with ‘The Gangs of Zion’ author Ron Stallworth”
“Straight Outta Salt Lake City: How the Bloods and the Crips Infiltrated Mormon Country”
Ron Stallworth speaks with radio show Talk Louisiana
“‘BlacKkKlansman’ subject writes about being a Black cop pursuing gangs in ’80s Utah”
“‘The Gangs of Zion’ author unveils Utah’s Bloods and Crips history”
“‘BlacKKKlansman’ Stallworth writes about policing Utah’s Mormon gangsters”
“The Gangs of Zion: A Black Cop’s Crusade in Mormon Country”
“What happens when a black cop goes undercover with the Crips and Bloods in ‘Mormon County’”
“Thanksgiving Parade Grand Marshal ‘BlacKkKlansman’ Ron Stallworth talks with KTSM”
Ron Stallworth named Grand Marshal of El Paso’s Sun Bowl Parade.
“Meet Ron Stallworth, the real-life ‘BlacKkKlansman’”
Ron Stallworth presented at the NAACP Image Awards.
“Spike Lee on “BlacKkKlansman,” awards, and an artist’s validation”
Slate and Vanity Fair analyze how the film BlackkKlansman stacks up to the book.
Vanity Fair comments on BlackkKlansman‘s six Oscar nominations.
“‘BlacKkKlansman’: How black detective Ron Stallworth infiltrated the Colorado Klan”
“The True Story Behind BlacKkKlansman, According to the Man Who Inspired the Movie”
The San Francisco Chronicle reviews Black Klansman.
“Here’s Where The Real Ron From ‘BlacKkKlansman’ Is Today”
El Paso Inc. profiles Ron Stallworth.
“Ron Stallworth’s memoir ‘Black Klansman’ is riveting”
“That time a black cop went undercover with the KKK”
“The black detective who infiltrated the Ku Klux Klan”
“Ron Stallworth, the Black Cop Who Went Undercover in the KKK, Exposed Its U.S. Military Ties”
“BlacKkKlansman: Yes, a Black Police Officer Really Did Infiltrate the KKK”
“Colorado Springs’ Black Klansman: ‘I won’t stand idly by'”
“The black cop who infiltrated the KKK”
“How A Black Detective Infiltrated The KKK”
“‘BlacKkKlansman’ Is An Oscar Nominee. Ron Stallworth, The Film’s Inspiration, Is Thrilled”
Ron Stallworth is featured in The New York Times Book Review’s “Inside the List” feature.
“Our event with Ron Stallworth was hugely successful. Ron really connected to the crowd and they loved him.”
>— Amanda Knief, Director, Lectures Program, Iowa State University
“The event with Ron Stallworth went amazing! Those that attended were very engaged, asked many questions, and were inspired by what he has done.”
— Madison Husmann, University of Nebraska-LincolnBook This Speaker
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