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Ku Klux Klan initiation at Stone Mountain near Atlanta, Georgia. June 1949. KKK men in full white masks and gowns lead new members wearing small face masks
R. Derek Black, the former poster child for white nationalism, shares their journey of gender identity and ideological transformation in their upcoming book.
In a revealing new memoir titled The Klansman’s Son: My Journey from White Nationalism to Antiracism, R. Derek Black, once known as a figurehead of American white nationalism, has come out as transgender. The memoir, which traces Black’s journey away from the extremist ideologies of their family, also delves into their personal experiences with gender identity.
According to the New York Post, Black discusses how they were often mistaken for a girl in childhood while involved in activities for their father’s KKK chapter, a role that haunted yet subtly affirmed their gender identity. It wasn’t until attending New College of Florida, known for its progressive student body, that Black began to explore and accept their gender identity openly.
“The culture at New College and the people I met helped me to understand and accept that I fit under the trans umbrella,” Black writes in the memoir. This acknowledgment comes at a critical time, as Black emphasizes the current hostile climate against trans rights in states like Florida, where they grew up.
Black’s story is not just a personal confession but a public continuation of their work in antiracism. Having renounced the white nationalist views propagated by their family, including their father, Don Black, and godfather, former KKK leader David Duke, Black’s transformation is both ideological and deeply personal, the Post reports.
The memoir also touches on Black’s complex relationship with their family, whom they have largely distanced themselves from ideologically and personally. In 2020, Black married Allison Gornick, a clinical psychologist, and describes the union as pivotal to their personal reform and public advocacy. “Allison entered my life at a moment that I felt least like someone worthy of being trusted or loved,” they recall in the memoir.
The Klansman’s Son is set to release on May 14, with Black committed to supporting other transgender people facing discrimination, particularly in the charged atmosphere of their home state.
