As of Friday (October 30), Ron Stallworth and his wife, Pasty Stallworth, have been in a two-week fight with Covid-19. Patsy is currently hospitalized, while Ron is quarantined at their home in El Paso.
In the 1970s, Ron worked as a police officer in Colorado, and went on to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan chapter. His actions inspired Spike Lee’s 2018 film “BlacKkKlansman.” The film stars John David Washington and chronicles how Stallworth was able to get inside the white supremacist group and foil plots of violence.
Right now, Ron is focused on recovering from the coronavirus and being reunited with his wife. He told CNN, “I’m not experiencing anything like what my wife is going through. I will gladly trade places with her, but this is the hand we’ve been dealt.”
Texas is currently experiencing a surge in coronavirus cases. A Democratic judge in El Paso, Ricardo Samaniego, ignored Republican Governor Greg Abbott and implemented a two-week shut down of non-essential businesses. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton immediately denounced the action taken by Samaniego and is “quickly exploring all legal actions,” per CNN.
Right now, Governor Abbott retains much authority in handling the state’s response to surge in cases. In El Paso, 1,347 new cases were reported just before the weekend, bringing the county’s active case total over 15,000.
While Ron and Patsy navigate this challenging time, they are grateful for Patsy’s progress and prognosis. She’s thus far been able to avoid the ICU and says her doctors have talked about a discharge as soon as this week. The couple, normally inseparable, cannot be together in person, but rely on phone calls to stay in touch. Remaining hopeful, Ron says, “I’m patiently awaiting when I can take her in my arms again.”
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