February 24, 2018.
FIGHTING HATE WITH FRIENDSHIP--ONE EXALTED CYCLOPS AT A TIME.
The interview was with Darryl Davis, a black musician/pianist in the style of Jerry Lee Lewis. How he came to meet with and become friends with members of the Ku Klux Klan is the subject of the discussion.
The interview is well constructed with Darryl playing his music and Piya giving pertinent background information at the interview's start. She then begins with a straightforward question. "How did you happen to meet with the KKK?" Davis is not a reluctant speaker and Piya lets him tell his story. She makes a comment about the situation Davis found himself in regarding talking to a KKKer and then asks, "OK, so what happened next?" Again Davis is given full rein to elaborate fully.
Then more of Davis' music and more information. She returns to her easy conversational tone of questioning--examples--"All of this happened decades ago? How do the conversations go? What is your opening comment with the KKK member? How does that go deeper into a conversation or dialogue? How do you cut through hate that is embedded intergenerationally?" Davis discusses the issue thoroughly and ends with the quote," You cannot hate the hate out of a person. You cannot beat the hate out of a person. But you can love it out of a person."
More music, more information and then an interview with Scott Shepherd, a former KKK Grand Dragon for the state of Tennessee. She asks, "Why did you seek out Darryl?" He says, " Darryl talked to me...I really didn't expect him to...Darryl is black and he is showing me love and respect and hi is one of the races that I really condemned, that I really hated."
Piya's final question to Shepherd was, "What did you do with your KKK robe?" "I gave it to Darryl." "Really?" "It's hanging in my house." The interview ends with laughter.
Piya's interview style sometimes used her questions as a lead into a particular event; other times her tone was conversational and more informal. She focussed some of the interview time on background and demographic information. The flow if the interview with the music and information along with the interview itself provided the listener with a remarkable idea of who Darryl Davis is and how he is doing his best to counteract racism one dialogue at a time.
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ReplyDeleteHi Jennette,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your reflection. I think organization of this interview questions is quite similar with Davis and Gzowski's interview on Zombies. Both of them have some pre-planed questions as well as questions flow from interviewer's listening. The planed questions ensure that important information can be obtained, while random questions make sure the conversation goes on in a natural way. I think strategies and experience are very important for interviewers to realize the dual purpose.
Yuxi
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ReplyDeleteHi Jennette,
ReplyDeleteSo I went a listened to the interview too as the topic is so interesting. For me, this interview brings me to the north of Ireland where many people are steeped in a hatred that has lasted centuries. Like Scott Shepherd, these people were born into an environment where it is a given that the hatred for the “other” will be taken up. People hate the “other” for reasons that are not known to them; ostensibly about religion, the differences between Protestant and Catholic beliefs are not what really cause the hatred. Like Shepherd says, it’s fear.
The power of music to bring people together is another theme. Interestingly, the Irish rugby team (currently doing very well in the Six Nations competition) is comprised of players from the whole island; this is in contrast to soccer, for example, where Northern Ireland and the “Republic of Ireland” are two separate teams. When the Irish rugby team plays, it’s not the Irish National Anthem that’s played before the game, but rather the more inclusive (though much derided) Ireland’s Call so that those of the Ulster Unionist persuasion are respected. This “neutral” song is a kind of “meeting in the middle” like music was for Davis and some of those KKK boys; a place where respect and trust can be built and later, maybe, love. Shepherd’s “I love you man” at the end of the interview was great to hear.
I also noticed Piya’s relaxed, conversational style of interviewing where she gave time to the interviewees to have their say. It brings me back to my own interview for the week where both Ira Glass and Richard Fidler display that confident openness blended with professional restraint and good timing throughout the interview.
Kieran, very interesting to compare this interview and situation with that of Northern Ireland. I'm very interested to hear about the pan-Irish rugby team and their theme music!
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