Ilia Talks About Her Interview With The Ku Klux Klan

2024 Author: Steven Freeman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 08:15

Ilia Calderón responded to those who dismissed her as provocative by her tense interview with a leader of the white knights of the Ku Klux Klan, who threatened to burn her.

The Colombian journalist exclusively explained to People en Español that her intention with the interview was not to provoke, but simply to do good journalism.

How did you organize this interview?

In one of the editorial meetings that we organized every day we asked ourselves why these groups were reorganizing, they felt that they could express their higher thinking, attacks and murders were taking place in the name of hatred. So I said I wanted to do it for everything I represent because I represent so much what they hate. After several attempts they answered María Martínez's call, in 24 hours we moved to North Carolina. We met them at 6pm, they didn't give us an address.

Did you tell him you're black?

She told them that I was a Hispanic woman of color, for him, color and black are two different things, but color completely defines me. He never imagined that the person who was going to interview him was a black person. For her, color was a person of lighter shades. He was very upset when he saw me.

But they sat with you, after all

They were already sitting, I didn't let them see me until everything was ready, the cameras were on. And that's when I walk and are impressed and that look of contempt when I walk in, they agree to end the interview, but from the first moment there were insults and rejection. A barrier of you is black you go there, you are an immigrant you go there. He was on probation, charges were dropped on August 2

You were offended because he said nigger

It is the offensive connotation, it does not bother me that my friends call me black. But the nigger is the offensive connotation.

Was this interview before what happened in Virginia?

Yes

Because you did?

I knew their hate speech and I knew they would despise me. But we never thought that we would find ourselves in that situation. What kept me in that chair is that what was happening to me was happening to thousands of people in the world. That happens to many people every day because these groups have to be brought to light.

Many think that you provoked these people. What do you think?

I did it because there are stories that cannot be told from a television studio and there are stories whose journalistic value merits going outside and taking risks. You cannot report a hurricane from your bed.

Do you think the confrontations will continue?

As long as there is a speech by the president of this country [ Donald Trump] that can continue to happen, I do not want it to be so and my wish is that we can all contribute to making the world different, to educating children in an environment of tolerances. It all starts from home, we have to commit ourselves.