Audiobook Review: Black Klansman: A Memoir by Ron Stallworth

Narrated by Ron Stallworth
Publisher: Random House – Cornerstone Digital
Age: Adult
Genre: Non-Fiction – Memoir
Format: Audiobook
Published: November 14th, 2018

Rating: 4/5 Stars

I picked up this audiobook after seeing the Spike Lee film, and feeling curious about what was changed for the film and what was true to life. There are some obvious big changes made, simply to make it more exciting on the screen, but the more ‘mundane’ events are kept nearly intact.

Although the focus in this memoir is Stallworth infiltrating the KKK, there’s a lot of other stuff around this about Stallworth’s general career and experiences in the police. It’s worth being aware of that going into this, and adjusting expectations accordingly.

It’s not the most brilliantly written book, but it is Stallworth’s own words about his experience and, with the audiobook, his own voice, too. It is interesting to hear/read the firsthand account of infiltrating the KKK as a Black man, and how Stallworth and his colleagues pulled this off, as well as the moments where things almost fell apart. For me, one of the most memorable moments is when Stallworth is on the phone and outright asks (paraphrasing, and replacing certain slurs) “well, what if someone pretends to be white to join, would you be able to tell?” Yes, is the reply, as Black people have a ‘different way of speaking’ and they would absolutely, certainly be able to tell if they were talking to someone who was Black, unlike Stallworth, who speaks like a good old American white boy.

It’s these kind of moments – where the racists really are made to look like the fools they are – that make the book memorable and worthwhile. Stallworth did some really interesting work during this investigation, and to me, it’s an important part of American history.

Reading Challenge (2025)
Be curious – Non-Fiction Challenge 2025
Prompt: Open Space – Whatever doesn’t fit the categories above
Progress: 12/12 +1 Bonus