Name: Neva Davies's review of Rising Out of Hatred by Eli Saslow
Item: Rising Out of Hatred
Rating: 5
Author: Neva Davies

Eli Saslow

From a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, the powerful story of how a prominent white supremacist changed his heart and mind. This is a book to help us understand the American moment and to help us better understand one another. Derek Black grew up at the epicenter of white nationalism. His father founded Stormfront, the largest racist community on the Internet. His godfather, David Duke, was a KKK Grand Wizard. By the time Derek turned nineteen, he had become an elected politician with his own daily radio show—already regarded as the "the leading light" of the burgeoning white nationalist movement. "We can infiltrate," Derek once told a crowd of white nationalists. "We can take the country back." Then he went to college. At New College of Florida, he continued to broadcast his radio show in secret each morning, living a double life until a classmate uncovered his identity and sent an email to the entire school. "Derek Black ... white supremacist, radio host ... New College student???" The ensuing uproar overtook one of the most liberal colleges in the country. Some students protested Derek's presence on campus, forcing him to reconcile for the first time with the ugliness of his beliefs. Other students found the courage to reach out to him, including an Orthodox Jew who invited Derek to attend weekly Shabbat dinners. It was because of those dinners—and the wide-ranging relationships formed at that table—that Derek started to question the science, history, and prejudices behind his worldview. As white nationalism infiltrated the political mainstream, Derek decided to confront the damage he had done. Rising Out of Hatred tells the story of how white-supremacist ideas migrated from the far-right fringe to the White House through the intensely personal saga of one man who eventually disavowed everything he was taught to believe, at tremendous personal cost. With great empathy and narrative verve, Eli Saslow asks what Derek Black's story can tell us about America's increasingly divided nature.

The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist

Rising Out of Hatred

Katie OConnell

Neva Davies

An important read in the rise of racism

This book helps to give a deeper understanding into the minds of those who supported and still support white supremacy and white nationalism. It's not a read to go into lightly, because so much of what it talks about is ugly and does a lot more harm than good, but it's also important as a reminder see that while ostracism has its benefits, it certainly doesn't always aid in changing the minds of those who are being ostracized. I do recommend it to those who wish to know more.

Amina

Catherine

Jimmy Cerone

An "account of Derek Black's journey from white supremacist hero to apostle of tolerance"--

Katie OConnell &
Rising Out of Hatred by Eli Saslow

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Katie OConnell &Rising Out of Hatred by Eli Saslow

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Katie OConnell &
Rising Out of Hatred by Eli Saslow