How to HACK Your HATE with Daryl Davis (The Jazz Musician Who Defeated the KKK) : 1234
The Human Upgrade with Dave Asprey
Dave Asprey
4.6 • 7.3K Ratings
🗓️ 19 December 2024
⏱️ 93 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Can you use hate to make the world a better place?
Daryl Davis, a world-class jazz musician, didn’t just confront hate—he dismantled it. By sitting down with over 200 Ku Klux Klan members, he inspired them to leave their robes behind. But this isn’t just a story about racism or redemption; it’s a story about the incredible power of human connection and the lessons it holds for all of us.
In this special episode, Dave explores how Daryl turned impossible conversations into transformative breakthroughs. Together, they unpack the mindset shifts, emotional intelligence, and fearless curiosity that can break down barriers of all kinds—whether they’re rooted in bias, fear, or misunderstanding.
Daryl’s approach to erasing hate is so unique, so impactful, that it may just change how you view conflict, compassion, and even your own health.
What You’ll Learn:
• How Daryl’s global upbringing shaped his fearless approach to conflict
• Why eliminating hate starts with understanding, not opposition
• The neuroscience of compassion and how it rewires your brain
• How forgiveness can transform your health and happiness
• A step-by-step framework for tackling impossible conversations
Resources:
2025 Biohacking Conference – https://biohackingconference.com/2025
Daryl Davis's Book: Klan-destine Relationships (Go read it for free at your local library instead of buying on Amazon :))
Daryl Davis's Website – https://www.daryldavis.com
Daryl Davis on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/realdaryldavis/
Danger Coffee – https://dangercoffee.com
Dave Asprey’s Website – https://daveasprey.com
Dave Asprey’s Book: Smarter Not Harder – https://daveasprey.com/books
Dave Asprey’s Linktree – https://linktr.ee/daveasprey
Upgrade Collective: Join The Human Upgrade Podcast Live – https://www.ourupgradecollective.com
Own an Upgrade Labs – https://ownanupgradelabs.com
Upgrade Labs – https://upgradelabs.com
40 Years of Zen – Neurofeedback Training for Advanced Cognitive Enhancement – https://40yearsofzen.com
Sponsors:
-Quantum Upgrade | Go to https://quantumupgrade.io/Dave for a free trial.
-Timeline | Head to https://www.timeline.com/dave to get 10% off your first order.
Timestamps:
• 00:00 A Shocking Parade Experience
• 00:38 Meeting the KKK: First Impressions
• 01:06 Introducing Daryl Davis
• 03:46 Daryl’s Unique Upbringing
• 09:52 Confronting Racism: A Lifelong Quest
• 14:16 The Power of Travel and Perspective
• 18:25 A High School Encounter with Nazis
• 21:12 Confronting the Klan Leader
• 30:57 Changing Minds: A Personal Approach
• 36:30 The Illusion of Latent Genes
• 42:08 Collecting Klan Robes: A Symbolic Victory
• 46:17 Facing the Klan: Staying Grounded
• 48:27 Challenging Beliefs: Confronting Hate
• 49:15 The Journey to Writing ‘Clandestine’
• 50:26 Introducing ‘The Klan Whisperer’
• 51:35 Reflections on Racism and History
• 57:29 The Power of Forgiveness
• 59:28 Freedom of Speech and Its Limits
• 01:02:21 Personal Stories of Racism
• 01:13:16 Cultural Understanding and Misunderstandings
• 01:25:16 The Impact of Music on Memory
• 01:29:02 Final Thoughts and Upcoming Events
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | I'm the only black participant in this parade, and people are waving and cheering and smiling until we got to a certain point along this parade route when suddenly I'm getting hit. |
| 0:09.0 | I still didn't realize I was the target. |
| 0:12.0 | It wasn't until my den mother, my cub master, my troop leader huddled over me and quickly escorted me out of the danger. |
| 0:18.0 | He held my hand in his hands shaking it. |
| 0:20.0 | He says, Mr. Davis, it is in the interest of the black people to be a strong race. |
| 0:25.6 | And you cannot be a strong race unless you are a pure race. |
| 0:28.7 | He says, you know, black people are born, you know, with a gene that makes them violent. |
| 0:32.6 | And I said, we all know that all white people have a dream within them that makes them a serial killer. |
| 0:38.1 | The first time you walked in and sat down with someone from the KKK, what did it feel like? |
| 0:43.8 | You're listening to The Human Upgrade with Dave Asprey. |
| 0:51.5 | Our guest today repeats some of the things the KKK said to him, and frankly, they are not very nice. |
| 0:59.0 | If this is going to be a problem for you or anyone listening with you, be warned. |
| 1:06.4 | Sitting here in a studio in Washington, D.C. with Daryl Davis. |
| 1:13.6 | Daryl is one of the most unusual human beings I've come across. |
| 1:18.3 | A jazz musician, a black man who just so happened to convert 200 Klu Klux Klan members to no longer be in the Klan. |
| 1:30.4 | He's been a guest a couple times on the Joe Rogan show, and I've been on there three times, |
| 1:35.8 | so we have that in common. And he's lived a life that is astounding, and I want to share with you |
| 1:44.0 | how he thinks, and just to hear some stories of how he's |
| 1:49.0 | achieved something that sounds impossible. One of the things I have learned over the years is that |
| 1:54.9 | if you want to change someone's mind, going in logically doesn't really work because our operating systems are designed for us to |
| 2:04.1 | not want to change our reality so these logical arguments end up basically with low carb guys |
| 2:11.6 | thumping their chests or vegans yelling at each other or keto people I'm more keto than you, and we get stuck in these cognitive areas. |
... |
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