Man who joined the KKK when he was 16 describes horrifying warning he was given before leaving
A former 'Grand Dragon' of the Ku Klux Klan who now works as a pastor at a Black church has explained how he only managed to escape the hate group after being given an unnerving warning.
As a university professor, a campaigner against racism and a pastor at a church for a Black community in Florida, it's hard to imagine Dr Richard Harris could have ever been involved with the white supremacist group that has caused so much pain.
But when he was just 16 years old, Harris did indeed become a member of the KKK, undergoing a brutal initiation process that saw him repeat an oath and 'swear allegiance to white supremacy', as well as having his wrist cut open so he could sign his name in blood.
In a new interview with LADbible Stories' Minutes With, Harris recalled: "I swore allegiance to keep all the rules and the laws of the Ku Klux Klan secret."
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'There was no getting out'
Throughout his time in the KKK, Harris recalled being 'groomed' to become the next 'Grand Dragon' - the 'figurehead' who 'basically does all the ceremonial-type things on the state level'.
While Harris admitted he was 'happy' to have 'importance' within the group, he also started 'crying himself to sleep at night'.
He explained: "I realized that I had ruined my life. I realized that I was probably not going to live a long life. And I realized how much most people hated and despised me because of who I was. So, was there happiness? Yeah, a little.
"Was there unhappiness? Yeah. A lot. Because I realized, I felt like I was trapped. I had trapped myself into this. There was no getting out, there was no leaving. I didn't know what to do."
Harris began reading the Bible as he sought a safer experience, and it was then that he realized the Klan had been 'lying' by 'twisting the scriptures'.
Knowing he had to leave, Harris called one of the higher ups - known as the Imperial Wizard.
"I called the Imperial Wizard and I quit," he said - though he noted there was a catch.
Harris was Grand Dragon - it was 'not that easy to quit', so his decision to leave came with a chilling warning.
He recalled: "After some negotiation, a couple days of negotiations, it finally ended with, they put a gun to my head and they said, 'We're gonna let you out, we're gonna let you live if you keep your mouth shut'. And I agreed. And I was out. And I kept my mouth shut for 15 years."
After those 15 years, Harris decided to start speaking out against the KKK, racism and white supremacy.
As a result, Harris claimed he's experienced three assassination attempts as members of the Klan allegedly 'did everything they could to intimidate [him] and to get [him] to shut up'.
Still, the pastor has stayed true to his mission. He has been 'accepted' by an African American church, saying the community has 'forgiven' him for his involvement in the KKK.
"They love me, and I love them. And it has been the best church family that I've ever found," Harris said.
Emily Brown