While marching in a cub-scout parade, young Daryl Davis was pelted by rocks and bottles. As a teenager he was told he would be shipped back to Africa. Driven by an intense need to understand those who hate him because of the colour of his skin, Davis decided to seek out the roots of racism.

The author, who is a professional musician, recounts his courageous, lifelong confrontations and conversations with members of the Ku Klux Klan in an attempt to unearth the roots of bigotry and foster harmony between black and white, often using music to bridge the divide.