Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist

“No family had done more to help white nationalism bully its way back into mainstream politics, and Derek was the next step in that evolution. He was precocious, thoughtful, and polite, sometimes delivering handwritten thank-you notes to conference volunteers. He never used racist slurs. He didn’t advocate for outright violence or breaking the law. His core beliefs were the same as those of most white nationalists that America would be better off as a whites-only country, and that all minorities should eventually be forced to leave. […] His goal, he explained once on the radio, was to ‘normalize these white nationalist ideas that already fit so neatly within the divides of modern society.”

Derek’s major contribution to white nationalism is to make the movement acceptable in mainstream white culture. He does this by reforming the language and presentation of white nationalism while maintaining the same ideals that existed in earlier iterations of white nationalism. Derek makes the movement a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

“New College was more than 80 percent white, but it was also listed in college guides as the most liberal school in Florida, the best school for hippies, the most gay-friendly, the most pot-friendly, the most likely to ‘transform your life and your worldview.’ One day on their radio show, as Derek readied to leave for a four-year college, a caller asked Don if he was worried about his son moving away from home to live ‘among the enemy in a hotbed of multiculturalism.’ Don started to laugh. ‘Derek’s the original nonconformist,’ he said. ‘It’s not like any of these little commies are going to impact his thinking. If anyone is going to be influenced here, it will be them.’”

Derek’s decision to attend a politically progressive school is questionable, given his white supremacist ideology. Both Derek and Don are confident that Derek’s intellect and commitment to white supremacism are strong enough to withstand influence from his progressive professors and classmates.

“In the mornings while [Derek’s] classmates slept, he walked alone to a patch of grass outside the dorm and called in to his [political radio] show to join his father on the air, and together they railed against the minority takeover. Whenever his classmates asked, Derek explained his morning ritual as a daily catch-up call with his unusually close family. Then he hung up the phone, returned to the center of campus, and befriended whoever walked by.”

Derek leads a dual life that creates internal conflict. Derek spends his early mornings discussing white nationalism on his radio show, then meets his college friends and behaves in a progressive, accepting manner so naturally that no one suspects he could harbor an ideology considered hateful.