21. Radicalized (Part 1): How a White Nationalist Left a Life of Hate

This is Part 1 of a two-part episode on extremism.

The “great replacement” is a theory that white people are being systematically replaced around the world by nonwhites through events like mass migration, intermarriage, and declining white birth rates. While this may be an ideology adopted by white supremacists around the world, this initially wasn’t the case for Arno Michaelis, then a violent, drunken teen in the late 80s.

In this episode, we hear from a former white nationalist — from his recruitment into the Church of the Creator (now known as Creativity Movement) to becoming an advocate against racism and hatred. We also learn about how people are introduced to white supremacist ideologies, the conspiracy theories they hold on to, and the complexity of distinguishing a terrorist attack from a hate crime. More importantly, we highlight the power of kindness as a way out.

Featuring policy and advocacy insights from experts: Dr. Cassie Miller, Senior Research Analyst at the Southern Poverty Law Center; Naureen Chowdhury Fink, Executive Director, at The Soufan Center; and Jason Blazakis, Professor of Practice, Nonproliferation and Terrorism Studies and Director of Center on Terrorism, Extremism, and Counterterrorism at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

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