right now, at this defining moment in right now, at this defining moment in america, there's so much on the line. from abc news, "my america, your america, our america." this is "turning point." tonight, facing racism. near the home of the kkk, these activists confronting hate head-on. >> come talk to us, come meet me, come shake my hand, come see for yourself that i am not anti-american, i am not hate-filled, i am not a terrorist. >> inviting bigots to a barbecue. >> would you go over to dinner to his house? >> yes. >> the head of the klan? >> i would listen to what he had to say about what his organization is telling. why do they hate us? you have to make them face their own demons. >> a woman rejecting the prejudice of her past. "turning point" will be right

back.

"nightline turning point" continues. here now, byron pitts. >> good evening. thank you for joining us. in a divided america, bigotry and the ku klux klan are not relics of a forgotten time. tonight we head to a community in arkansas where the

confederate flag still flies. as two black lives matter activists try to break bread with people who see them as less than human. here's abc's steve osunsamosuns. >> black lives matter! black lives matter! >> reporter: it's a hot summer day in one of the whitest communities in america, and activists waving flags that read "black lives matter" have come to this small town, and for the most part they're not welcome. >> white power, white people! >> white power! >> black lives matter! >> reporter: this is boone county, arkansas, where the klan has its headquarters and where the racists have already installed their snipers on the rooftops in downtown harrison. and just around the corner from the sign that tells you where to tune in to white pride radio for the family, the sign says. >> i do this in good faith.

>> reporter: aaron clark is worried it might get violent. >> if i can get all guns to be put up -- >> we got death threat after death threat after death threat. they said, i got a rifle for you down here, monkey. all sorts of things. >> reporter: clark says he's here to meet white people who he says don't understand the protests they see and the far-away culture that's beamed into their living rooms and on the devices in their pocket. >> i'm coming to you in a positive form and a positive fashion, you know what i'm saying? >> reporter: this was mostly his idea, and he brought burgers to go with the bullhorns, inviting people to come eat lunch. >> i feel like food automatically creates a common ground, then we can figure out more common grounds from there. but from the jump we have a common ground, because i'm pretty sure everybody likes to eat. >> reporter: the men in trucks flying by with the confederate flags aren't stopping. >> hey, hey, ho, ho, this racist [ bleep ] has got to go! >> reporter: the only thing they're bringing to this barbecue are their middle

fingers. this is what they used to call a sundown town, where black americans had trouble staying alive if they were out after dark. it didn't take long before a militia showed up. >> we are not klan. we are not racist. i'm here to stop you from burning buildings and hurting innocent people. >> we don't want that to happen. so if we can keep it out of our -- our areas, here in arkansas, that's what we want to do. >> great question, let's talk about that. >> reporter: in the middle of all this, clarke turns to his phone and starts a live feed on facebook. where he tries to invite people from across the county. >> let's talk. you know what i'm saying? i'm willing to meet anybody up. i'll stay down here, i'll meet up with you guys, we can go get a beer or something. go get a beer, go to the bar, we can sit down, we can talk, we can be adults. >> reporter: things start looking up when clarke learns that someone who he was hoping to meet might be coming to visit. a famous local pastor by the name of thomas robb. >> if i can have a civil dialogue with thomas robb,

that's what i'm definitely going to do. >> reporter: 74-year-old thomas robb is the pastor of the christian revival center just outside harrison. he's better known as the national director of the ku klux klan. he took over the job after david duke left the position in the 1980s and is seen here in an interview with sky news three years ago. >> this here is our office. and we do clerical work here, membership applications. >> reporter: robb isn't just any racist, he's the most grand dragon of racists, who longer wears a hood and likes to sound as he's making sense, as he did in this interview with "the kansas city star." >> blacks by their nature probably prefer being around other blacks. because they can relate to them. there's always going to be some that's going to want to go hang out with the white group. but by whole, people prefer being around their own kind, and nothing wrong with that. it's real. it's natural. >> it sounds like what you guys are doing is saying to people,

come meet us. >> yes. >> come talk to us, come meet me, come shake my hand, come see for yourself that i am not anti-american, i am not hate-filled, i am not a terrorist. i love my community. and i want the best for all of us. and aaron and i do this because we want a better life for our children. >> exactly. and one thing that i learned about is really through conversations that i realized, that they don't really know anything about people of color. so what we want to do, and our mission is to go against the narrative. we want to come and say exactly like you said. hey, come meet us. >> reporter: the first black person to ever meet many of this area's long-time residents is this man, kevin cherray, retired federal forest ranger who first moved here in the '70s and says it didn't always go well. he's since joined a task force the city has set up to help repair its image. >> we've got to get people to be

willing to be uncomfortable. they've got to be willing to learn and find out what they don't know. >> reporter: he says that communities all across this country are a lot more like harrison than they'd like to admit. with white americans, who have never really bothered to get to know many people of other races. >> when i'm able to share my experiences with people, especially now they know me, they're comfortable with me. and all of a sudden the issue of the confederate flag comes up. and i can tell them, look, you have to understand that when i see that flag, there's a certain level of fear that exists. because growing up in new orleans, if you saw a car coming down the street with the flag, you got out of the way. we also knew that wherever there was a lynching, that flag was present. and when people hear that stuff happened to me, it's like, wow. now it's a different meaning to them. because, this is kevin, our friend. they're more willing to believe what you're saying.

but either way, we have to talk. and weav be g to listen. >> yes. >> reporter: it's harder to misunderstand someone when you realize they share some of your worries and many of your goals and they're trying to get that across in the protests in the streets. but sociologists explain that americans of all colors are proving every day that what this klansman said is true that people gravitate toward their own kind. >> we've actually just completed a study a few years ago in the metro detroit area that measured the ethnicity of people's networks. >> reporter: i spoke with christina rusch, researcher at eastern michigan university. >> we specifically asked them whether or not the person that they identify as close and important to them is of the same race and/or ethnicity as them. and what we found is that for both whites and blacks in america, over 95% of their networks are comprised of the

same race. >> when i look at the facebook pages of some of my white friends, this person who is supportive of black lives matter, i can look through sometimes years and decades of photos and not see that person standing next to anybody who looks like me. and it's stunning to me. >> yes. it makes a lot of sense. you know, i'm not surprised that when you look at facebook posts, you tend to see it to be of the same race as the person who you're looking at. because i think there's been a lot of research to show that for the most part, people's social networks are very homogenous when it comes to race and ethnicity. >> reporter: pull out your phone right now, scroll through the pictures, and see for yourself. how many black friends do your white friends really have? >> it's not just the personal relationships. i think the larger media and societal portrayals of these groups also play a big role in

how we understand people who are different than us. because they immediately shape how we're going to react to the person we're coming into contact with. >> reporter: she says that black and brown americans do this too, and will often avoid real relationships with white americans because it can be tiring to teach their experience. >> explain to me why it's more difficult for white americans to have diverse social gaza strips and groups. >> i think that is in large part just a result of the numbers. white americans are still numerically the majority. and the opportunities that they have to come into contact with people who are different than them are just far fewer. they don't have to interact with people who are different than them in order to have opportunities, whereas individuals who are of racial or ethnic minority groups, they have to. >> reporter: back at the barbecue in harrison, thomas robb never showed. >> w tld you goo dinner

to his husbaouse? >> yes in an instant, yes. if he invited me to dinner in his house, i would go and sit down and eat with him. >> the head of the klan? >> i would sit down and eat dinner with him and try and listen to what he had to say about what his organization is telling, what do you feel about us, why do you hate us? you have to make them face their own demons. >> reporter: in the end, not a bullet was fired, no punches were thrown, and clarke and his group made friends with the militia. >> you brought me that gatorade, didn't you, man? hey, i appreciate that. >> you have to make them question themselves, and you can't do that if you don't talk to them. coming up, one woman's journey through her racist past to a moment of change. >> i have to live every day with the guilt of being brought up racist. >> let them hear your voice tonight! >> reporter: and the church that says god's house should look like a rainbow. y

and it continuously eliminates odors in the air and on soft surfaces. for 45 days. now roomba vacuums exactly where you need it. alexa, tell roomba to vacuum in front of the couch. and offers personalized cleaning suggestions for a clean unique to you and your home. roomba and the irobot home app. only from irobot. roomba and the irobot home app. people are waking up tog with what's possible with rybelsus®. ♪ you are my sunshine, my only sunshine... ♪ rybelsus® works differently than any other diabetes pill to lower blood sugar in all 3 of these ways... increases insulin... decreases sugar... ...and slows food. the majority of people taking rybelsus® lowered their blood sugar and reached an a1c of less than 7. people taking rybelsus® lost up to 8 pounds. rybelsus® isn't for people with type 1 diabetes

or diabetic ketoacidosis. don't take rybelsus® if you or your family ever had medullary thyroid cancer, or have multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2, or if allergic to it. stop rybelsus® and get medical help right away if you get a lump or swelling in your neck, severe stomach pain, or an allergic reaction. serious side effects may include pancreatitis. tell your provider about vision problems or changes. taking rybelsus® with a sulfonylurea or insulin increases low blood sugar risk. side effects like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea may lead to dehydration which may worsen kidney problems. wake up to what's possible with rybelsus®. ♪ please don't take my sunshine away... ♪ you may pay as little as $10 per prescription. ask your healthcare provider about rybelsus® today.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪

your shoulder seems to be healing nicely. i'm sorry baby... i don't want you to play with that... (singing) twinkle, twinkle little star. how i wonder what you are... how are you doing? schedule a video visit with your doctor. kaiser permanente. thrive.

for a young woman in virginia, confronting her past meant erasing a hateful tattoo. but her show of redemption only happened after facing people hurt by that hate. here again is abc's steve osunsami. >> hey, how's it going? >> hi. andrea. very nice to meet you. >> come back here and let's talk about this drawing. >> reporter: andrea ihouse is on a powerful journey. >> this is the design i came up for you. most of the cover-up is going to be in this area -- >> i have to live every day with the guilt of being brought up racist. >> reporter: it took her years to get to this virginia tattoo

parlor where she says it feels like she's about to be cleansed. >> it's very literally erasing the hate. when it's physically, and you know, you're able to see that washed away from your body, it's almost like being baptized. >> reporter: she was just 17 years old when she had the mark of white supremacists tattooed on her back. >> it's an iron cross. like when you look at neo-nazis today, and they might have a swastika tat too, they might have those two lightning bolt tattoos, they might have an iron cross. >> did you know what it represented? >> i was aware of what people could take away from it, and that didn't bother me. that's a problem. >> reporter: she didn't think much of it because of where and how she grew up. a mostly white community in north carolina, where racism was a way of life. >> i was so indoctrinated. i was very brainwashed.

so it was very acceptable to believe that african-americans are just -- lower than white people. that gay people are -- an abomination. immigrants aren't welcome. >> reporter: but when she moved away to virginia in 2007, she had different people moving into her world. >> what was on your mind on the way to the tattoo shop when you were getting -- about to get it covered up? >> my best friend. hm. she's jewish. i don't love, you know, being the center of attention. i don't love being on camera. so when they brought this opportunity to me, i did not want to do it. and the reason that i did do it

was because i've owed this to the people that i've offended. >> are you excited? >> reporter: jeremiah hirsch is the tattoo artist fredericksburg who's doing this for free. he's calling this "the erase the hate" campaign, and there are holocaust survivors in his family. >> it's heartbreaking. to hear about her upbringing. to be raised in such a hateful environment and think that that's okay. but so beautiful today to, like -- to erase that from her. >> reporter: all he asks is that she and others who he's helping make a small donation, $100 or more, to groups that help minorities. >> there has to be bridges built. even with my parents being pastors, i remember going to church on sunday and, like, you would have the black congregation would be on this side of the church, and we would be on the other side. and i never fully understood that. then when you look into the history of it, when, like,

segregation was still in, and like when slavery was, they would have to sit upstairs. as we've seen segregation go away and more unity involved, why is there still this separation just because of like, is that what we're used to? >> reporter: it's in the meeting of different people and the understanding between those people where racism starts to die. and yes, even in god's house, where dr. martin luther king himself once said that sunday is the most segregated day in america, it takes effort. >> our pastor and our leader, pastor kimberly jones! >> reporter: this is limitless church in georgia. >> yeah! >> reporter: pastor kimberly jones says there used to be no black members. >> when my mom and dad turned it over to me a few years ago, man, all white people. i looked out sunday. this place is packed. and i thought, look at this rainbow. looks like heaven.

what heaven's going to look like. >> how did that happen? >> i don't even know. i really don't even know. >> the bible says -- >> reporter: people of her church told us it's because of moments like this. that's pastor kim joining the protests over the police killings of black americans. >> one person can change the world, and that's you. >> they need to be heard. my people need to be heard. >> you said my people. but i wonder if it's because these are truly your people. >> they're my people. me as a caucasian, me as a white woman, my job is to fight for the ones around me so that they can have the same privileges that i have. every time i even see a caucasian say "all lives matter," i just wish for a second they could switch skin and walk in it for a second. do a heart check. that racism will keep you out of heaven. >> reporter: andrea einhaus

suffered through four hours of agonizing pain to cover the racism painted on her skin with a playful drawing that reminds her of a sister who died. >> looks amazing, thank you. >> reporter: she wishes anyone who chooses only to judge her for what she's become today. >> what do you say to other people out there who might have something like that on them? >> i would say that it is certainly unfortunate that you have this tattoo, but that does not set the tone for your life. your behavior does. and the way that you interact with people. so this doesn't have to control your life. and it's okay to say you were wrong. >> our thanks to steve o. be sure to join our conversation with #turningpointabc. we'll be right back with a program note.

inate who you are , and you're going to find yourself where you need to be. ♪ the race is never over. the journey has no port. the adventure never ends, because we are always on the way. ♪ ♪ your happy place. find your breaking point. then break it. every emergen-c gives you a potent blend of nutrients so you can emerge your best with emergen-c. he calls on the nation's antop health experts.s, working together, for all americans, is what joe does. when writing his healthcare plan, joe biden worked with both doctors and patients to make healthcare affordable by lowering premiums,

reducing drug costs, and protecting people with pre-existing conditions. joe listened to both small business owners and workers to create his economic plan that cuts taxes for middle class families, creates 18 million new jobs in his first term, and raises wages by as much as $15,000 a year. joe biden's plans will help working families immediately by making the super rich finally pay their fair share. for joe, it's never been about ego. it's always been about the work he can do for working families. it's what he's always done. joe biden brings everyone to the table and gets it done. i'm joe biden, and i approve this message. honey honey? new nyquil severe honey is maximum strength cold and flu medicine with soothing honey-licious taste. nyquil honey. the nighttime, sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever best sleep with a cold medicine.

onomw night's "nightline," the year-long investigation into the murder of an american journalist.

who killed hull bearicat? that's all for this evening. you can watch full episodes on hulu. thanks for the company, america. good night.