The Klansmans Son: My Journey from White Nationalism to Antiracism: A Memoir

(Hardback)

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Derek Black was raised to take over the white nationalist movement in the United States. His father, Don Black, was a former Grand Wizard in the Ku Klux Klan and started Stormfront, the internet's first white supremacist website-Derek built the kids' page. His godfather, David Duke, was also his mentor. Racist hatred, though often wrapped up in respectability, was all Derek knew.
Then, while in college in 2013, Derek publicly renounced white nationalism and apologized for his actions and the suffering that he had caused. The majority of his family stopped speaking to him, and he disappeared into academia, convinced that he had done so much harm that there was no place for him in public life. But in 2016, as he watched the rise of Donald Trump, he immediately recognized what he was hearing-the spread and mainstreaming of the hate he had helped cultivate-and he knew that he couldn't stay silent.
This is a thoughtful, insightful, and moving account of a singular life, with important lessons for our troubled times. Derek can trace a uniquely insider account of the rise of white nationalism, and how a boy indoctrinated with hate can become an anti-racist man. Few understand the ideology, motivations, or tactics of the white nationalist movement like Derek, and few have ever made so profound a change. When coded language and creeping authoritarianism spread the ideas of white nationalists, this is an essential book with a powerful voice.

Reviews

I expected an ideological journey. What I did not expectwhat sets The Klansmans Son apart, what had me engrossedis Derek Blacks meticulous detailing of their emotional journey from White nationalist to antiracist: how they and others felt during each step of their walk away from what and whonurtured them; how internal courage and external love braced each step toward being antiracist. What a deeply moving memoir. * Ibram X. Kendi, #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Be an Antiracist *
Poignant and significant a necessary warning that hatred can be comfortable as much as violent, that family warmth can nurture the worst as much as the best. . Important. * Financial Times *
Your family or your soul That is what the choice finally came down to for Derek Black, whose searching memoir has much to teach us all. Surprises and insights abound in this page-turner composed with candor and grace. For instance, why do White power recruiters focus on those who say, Im not a racist, but . . . The Klansmans Son is a must-read for all who hunger for hope in these cruel times. * Nancy MacLean, author of Democracy in Chains: The Deep History of the Radical Rights Stealth Plan for America and Behind the Mask of Chivalry: The Making of the Second Ku Klux Klan *
In The Klansmans Son," Derek Black displays incredible vulnerability and willingness to criticize so many of their own decisions. Their bravery shows through these pages, and we need to study with extreme care Dereks story of how a group of passionate young people, by choosing different paths in responding to hatred, helped them in their journey. Perhaps it even holds a key for fighting the varied strains of antisemitism my community, the Jewish community, faces in 2024. * Elisha Wiesel, chairmanof theElie Wiesel Foundation *
If ever there was a book for these challenging times, its The Klansmans Son by R. Derek Black. In it, Derek delves into their past and shows how they rejected their earlier life and its racist teachings and became a student of American historyhistory of all Americans of all races, creeds, and colors. I am encouraged by Dereks journey, and I am hopeful that they can help us all on our journey toward a more perfect union. * Charlayne Hunter-Gault, journalist and author My People: Five Decades of Writing about Black Lives *

Author Bio

Derek Black is a doctoral student in history at the University of Chicago, researching the medieval and early modern origins of the concept of race and of racist hierarchies and ideologies. Since 2016, they have spoken to many audiences at universities, foundations, institutions, museums, synagogues, and churches. They were honored with the first Elie Wiesel Award, given by the Wiesel family after the Nobel Peace Laureates passing, and also received a humanitarian award from the Anti-Defamation League. They have been profiled in the Washington Post, People, and O!, and interviewed for Fresh Air, The Daily, On Being, The Daily Show, and elsewhere. This is their first book.