Musician, author, actor and lecturer Daryl Davis to deliver lecture
Musician, author, actor and lecturer Daryl Davis to deliver 2025 Larry Adair Lecture
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Northeastern State University will welcome author, musician, actor and lecturer Daryl Davis to the Tahlequah campus for the 2025 Larry Adair Lecture. His presentation, “Bridging Differences: How Can You Hate Me When You Don't Even Know Me?,” will take place at 11 a.m. on Thursday, March 27 in NSU’s Webb Auditorium. The event is free and open to the public.
A Chicago native and blues pianist, Davis has used music to share relatable stories, but it is his lifelong work in improving race relations that has earned him national recognition. Confronting bigotry with conversation, he has engaged with members of hate groups, often challenging their beliefs by asking the question that became the title of his lecture—a question he first pondered following a racially motivated attack at age 10.
Later in 1983, after a performance in Frederick, Maryland, Davis was sitting at a bar when an audience member approached, shook his hand, and remarked that it was the first time he had heard a Black man play as well as Jerry Lee Lewis. Their conversation turned to Lewis, the blues, and ultimately, the man’s membership in the Ku Klux Klan. That encounter led Davis to seek dialogue with Klan members to better understand their ideology, ultimately inspiring his book, “Klan-destine Relationships: A Black Man's Odyssey in the Ku Klux Klan.”
Davis has drawn both praise and controversy for his approach, but over the years, he has helped change the hearts and minds of many, with hundreds of former Klan members renouncing their beliefs and giving him their robes. His journey was chronicled in the 2016 documentary, “Accidental Courtesy: Daryl Davis, Race & America.”
“Throughout the U.S., there seems to be a fundamental ‘failure to communicate,’" to quote the movie ‘Cool Hand Luke,’” NSU Foundation Development Director, Peggy Glenn, said. “Daryl Davis has found a way to bridge this gap and engage in honest conversations about tough issues, particularly with members of the Ku Klux Klan. He will share his experiences and provide tips on how we can have difficult discussions without devolving into arguments and harsh judgments.”
Davis earned a bachelor’s in music from Howard University in Washington, D.C. After graduation, he toured nationally and internationally with his own band and performed alongside music legends including Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis and Bo Diddley.
In addition to the lecture, Davis will perform at the NSU Jazz Lab at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26. This event is also free and open to the public.
For more information about the 2025 Larry Adair Lecture, visit nsualumni.com or email the NSU Foundation at foundation@nsuok.edu.
About the lecture: Friends and family of former Oklahoma Speaker of the House Larry Adair, along with the NSU Foundation, established the lectureship series in 2004 to create an annual forum encouraging members of the NSU community to become more engaged in politics, government and public policy.
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