INTERVIEW w/ a FORMER WHITE SUPREMACIST LEADER (TONY MCALEER)- Life After Hate

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For this episode I spoke w/ former white supremacist skinhead leader Tony McAleer. (TIMESTAMPS BELOW)

Tony told us about his upbringing and the traumas that contributed to his eventual joining of Canadian racist skinhead movement where he would progress to the role of leader. Tony spoke about the members that made up such groups, the disfunction that was pervasive within the movement, the effect that years of being in the movement had on his humanity and his eventual leaving of the group. Tony spoke also about his current work to deradicalize extremists and prevent others from falling into a life of hate.

00:00 INTRO… growing up, relationship w/ father, boarding school in England
11:50- first contact w/ skinheads at Canadian punk rock concert, “befriend the bully, become the bully” mentality, introduction to violence- addictive/intoxicating feeling from it 
20:40 getting serious w/ involvement in skinhead/white sup groups, using technology to spread their message 
30:50 using music as recruitment tool 
32:30 Types within white sup groups 
36:40 Which racial/ethnic groups were most hated by the white sup groups?
41:50 Tony’s parents on Tony’s activities at the time (having Hitler poster on bedroom wall while living w/ a father who had been bombed during WW2)
45:10 Recruiting members, how trauma effects us, positive shame/toxic shame 
53:40 Tony’s thoughts on hate, rage
57:45 Tony’s leaving the white sup movement 
1:03:10- the impact of “American History X” on Tony 
1:04:57- “not something I wanted for my children”- how Tony’s children helped him leave
1:06:40- disengaging from the group, getting introduction to therapy 
1:14:40- Book
1:15:10 Tony’s current work in de-radicalizing (Life After Hate)
1:21:00- Coming back the same Synagogue 30 years after committing hate-crime there 

https://www.lifeafterhate.org/blog/tag/Tony+McAleer
https://twitter.com/mcaleer

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