“I expected an ideological journey. What I did not expect—what sets The Klansman’s Son apart, what had me engrossed—is Derek Black’s 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, ‘I’m not a racist, but . . .’? The Klansman’s 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 Right’s Stealth Plan for America and Behind the Mask of Chivalry: The Making of the Second Ku Klux Klan

In The Klansman’s 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 Derek’s 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, chairman of the Elie Wiesel Foundation