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

by Eli Saslow

This book tells the intensely personal saga of one man who eventually disavowed everything he was taught to believe, at tremendous personal cost. Derek Black grew up at the epicenter of white nationalism. His father founded Stormfront, the largest racist community on the Internet. His son went to a liberal college and slowly rexamined his beliefs and left his family's racism and anti-Semitism behind.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Politics, Race, Memoir, Audiobook, Social Justice

289 pages, Hardcover

First published September 18, 2018

About the author

Eli Saslow is an author and a staff writer for The Washington Post, where he travels the country to write in-depth stories about the impact of major national issues on individual lives. He won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize in Explanatory Reporting for a series of stories about the rise of food stamps and hunger in the United States. He was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in feature writing in 2013, 2016 and 2017. An occasional contributor to ESPN the Magazine, four of his stories have been anthologized in Best American Sportswriting. He grew up in Denver, graduated from Syracuse University and now lives in Portland, Or., with his wife and three children.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know the phrase, "Some of my best friends are Black (or Jewish) ", said by people trying to prove that they aren't the bigots they quite obviously are. It was kind of that phrase that turned Derek Black around. His best friends on the campus of his liberal college were a Peruvian boy he played guitar with and a Jewish kid who invited them to his Friday night dinners, and the girl he was closest to, who was also Jewish.

He hadn't meant them to be his best buddies, but he was new in college and everyone needs friends. They were nice to him and he wanted to stay under the radar. What better way for a white supremacist not to be noticed than to have friends like these?

One day, thinking on his father, the founder of StormFront, the internet's biggest white supremacist racist site, and his godfather David Duke of KKK infamy and what they would do to these three friends and other non-Whites he knew and liked in his college, he thought it was a good idea in principle but he didn't want any harm or discrimination against his friends! And so it grew. For him it was true, some of his best friends were... and in his heart, although it took time, emotion and much intellectual self-examination, he really wasn't a bigot.

This kind of ruined it for his family as they had seen their bright and talented son as the inheritor of both Stormfront and a leading light of the KKK and all other White Supremacist organisations obsessed with denying the Holocaust, praising Hitler and denigrating African-Americans in America. They had heads filled with the need to persuade people to their cause - that these various stupid, criminal, cunning 'races' deserved nothing more than subjugation and annihilation. Slavery and genocide.

He was to be the leader of the propaganda movement that would fill White Christian heads with the same fuel of bitterness, jealousy and hatred that kept them going and bring about this violent revolution, revolt, revolting, actions.

Except he wanted out. He didn't believe in that anymore. College and friends, conversations deep into the night, philosophy and wine, had brought him to the belief that everyone had an equal place and should have an equal chance in America. He became persona non grata in his family. He wasn't welcome in their house or at their gatherings. But they loved him too and inevitably there were 'secret' meetings with his parents, one at a time, so all was not lost.

The book puts me in mind of Rian Malan, whose great uncle was D.F. Malan, the Prime Minister of South Africa who implemented apartheid. His book My Traitor's Heart: A South African Exile Returns to Face His Country, His Tribe, and His Conscience is also of a man from a very racist family, seeing their responsibility for unjust treatment and many murders and turning away this, despite the love and attachment he feels for them.

For most people, the values and religion they were brought up is where they stay more or less, for the rest of their lives and what they teach their children and often where they choose to live and what friends they have.

Some people break away but generally in a mild way. Few are willing to stand up in the world and publicly, by their words or deeds, denounce their family as evil, it's the ultimate in disrespect and risks losing them entirely. It's a very brave thing Derek Black and Rian Malan did. Good people like that help us to understand the extreme evil they have come from and were supposed to represent.

Notes on reading Derek, "the former white nationalist" (except he's not 'former' at this point) has invited his potential girlfriend, fellow student and best friend, Alison, to a Stormfront conference in which he is a major speaker. She has listened to seven speeches and is writing down notes to ask Derek about later:
"What was with all the Holocaust denial and the Germany worship? Why so much militatnt terminology? Why was everyone so obsessed with Jews?"

Alison listened to Derek's father Don, and his godfather, David Duke, speak taking turns insulting Jews, Hispanics, Blacks and immigrants to rousing applause. No longer did Derek describe themselves as white supremacists, but turned it on those (whites) who did not see the 'moral rightness' of opposing racial genocide as people who were 'anti-white' and therefore advocating mass murder of themselves and their racial kin. (Amazing what linguistic acrobatics he went through to get there).

And Derek who was a talented musician played a song for Obama, "The Monkey who became President."

And there you have it, the bitter heart of white supremacist racism where if someone is quoted a 100 times, or a web site writes the same thing 100 times, then it must be a fact. The more iterations, the more it is proof of it's reality.

It's a really good read, the story of a man's unfolding from one over-riding, almost all-encompassing, evil preoccupation into a life like most of us have with many interests and diverse beliefs that do not have to fit into one overarching ideology.

[Malia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first time I heard of Derek Black was on an episode of the podcast The Daily. I found his story fascinating even then, and when I had a chance to read this book, I was excited to learn more. Rising Out of Hatred tells Derek's story, but also that of his family. Though I will never truly understand let alone condone the "movement"(seems to positive a word somehow) of white supremacy, I found it disturbingly intriguing to learn their reasoning for such hateful ideology. It's incredible that Derek - through his experiences and influences in college - was able to understand that this was wrong and that he had to change his thinking and his actions. The fact that he did and that he is willing to be open about his experience gives me hope that people can change. I don't want to talk specifics about current politics in the US, but we all know how divisive the environment has become. We need to keep the hope alive that we can recover from this time of so much outward hatred and partisan division, and be open and willing to learn about the experiences and thoughts of others in the way Derek Black did. It's important to be willing not to dismiss those who think differently from us as ignorant idiots, but to try to understand why they think the way they do and how to approach that. I am not saying I am the paragon of this behavior by any means. I am angry, too, and disappointed with the mood of the time, but I want to be better than that. I want us all to be better than that. I am veering away from the book now, and maybe that's fine, because it provoked thoughts in me that go well beyond Derek's story and wrap around the problems of the world and society of today and of the past.

Thanks to Netgalley for supplying me with a copy of Rising Out of Hatred in exchange for an honest review.

Find more reviews and bookish fun at http://www.princessandpen.com

[Jenna ❤ ❀ ❤ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I waited 5 months to get a library e-copy of this book and was so excited when it finally became available. Eagerly I began reading it, at first loving it. However, about a third of the way through, it just started to drag. And drag. And drag. I'm sure I didn't just groan in my head but out loud, more than once, in frustration at the repetition. And to make matters worse (for me who is no fan of YA), it felt like reading a young adult novel part of the time. No, no, no! This is supposed to be an adult nonfiction book; how the hell can it take on the feel and style of a YA novel?? Perhaps it is because it is mostly set during Derek Black's college years and explores his friendships and coming-of-age that it ends up feeling like YA. I don't know, but whatever it is, bleh!

To those who enjoy the YA genre, novels or non-fiction, you will perhaps appreciate this more than I. It tells the conversion story of Derek, a young white nationalist with his own website and talk radio show. When his fellow students at college discover his identity, a few of them decide to try befriending Derek, rather than ostracizing him. Kudos to them because I would have had a difficult time doing this. Good news is that they eventually helped him change his views. Not so good news.... I'm not entirely convinced he did. I am left with the feeling that it's all a matter of convenience and we really don't know exactly what Derek now believes. Perhaps because the book is written by a journalist rather than in Derek's own words, I just feel like his true persona is hidden and the book feels in a sense dishonest.

I realise I'm the outlier here; most enjoy this book far more than I did. I do think it's a good eye opener for those who don't know any white supremacists (sadly, I do) and would like to get a better understanding of what it is they believe. I also think it has a wonderful message --if true-- that hearts and minds can change with kindness and friendship.

[Sara the Librarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

January 13th 2021

Hi all! Quick edit here because I wanted this review back up at the top of my feed. Derek and Eli's interview on the Daily Show from a few years ago popped up on my Instagram a couple days ago and I realized, again, how necessary Derek's story is. It will never not be necessary I fear but at this particular moment its one that needs very, very badly to be heard. I encourage everyone who hasn't to check this out.

S.

Review:

If its possible for the scion of a dynasty of white supremacists to renounce his ideology, denounce his own family, and become a nationally recognized advocate for civil rights its possible for you to have a five minute conversation at Thanksgiving this year with your dipshit uncle about why exactly he hates "brown people" so much.

Out of everything I took away from this very, very important book I think that's the most important point.

We have to start talking to each other.

At the end of the day that is how Derek Black changed. This incredibly brave and brilliant young man stepped away from a lifetime of ignorance and hate because people talked to him and he listened. Because people, who had no obligation to, took the time to reach out to him in the spirit of forgiveness and understanding and turned their own (justifiable) rage at his extensive history as a white supremacy leader into positive action Derek became a different person.

The story of his journey out of a life spent promoting hatred and division between races and rallying people to the cause of preventing "the white genocide" isn't the easiest one to read but I could not put it down and I really, really want you to read it too.

Derek Black is the son of Don Black, the creator of "Stormfront" one of the internet's first (and most popular) hate sites. Purporting to be a haven for white's who fear the "destruction of white culture" it boasts a frighteningly huge membership and has provided support and encouragement for serial killers and domestic terrorists alike. Some of Derek's more "impressive" contributions to his father's cause include building a Stormfront site for kids (which is still online), hosting a wildly popular daily radio show with his dad where they discussed everything from the plague of Jews running the world to the bunk science "proof" that white's are in fact the master race, and starting his own yearly "white nationalist" conference. He even successfully ran for public office before the truth about his beliefs became public knowledge. All before he'd graduated from high school.

Derek's brand of racism was especially horrifying because he made it palatable. He recognized that the rhetoric had to change so he encouraged and ending to the use of racial slurs and an emphasis on "saving" white culture. This was my first encounter with a legitimately intelligent bigot and I'd be lying if I said it didn't scare the hell out of me.

When Derek left his parents home in West Palm Beach Florida for New College in Sarasota at the age of 19 it was with the idea that he would be infiltrating enemy headquarters. He'd learn how to speak the language of the mainly liberal, left leaning student body more effectively and better arm himself for the war he planned to spend his life fighting against what he believed was an invasion of minorities. He didn't plan to reveal his identity. He'd keep his head down, get his education, and go back to his mission. But as a mainly home schooled student with few friends his own age he wasn't prepared for the relationships he would form in that first year and how important they would be to him. How they would begin to change the way he saw the world. He was even less prepared for the fallout when he was outed on the college message board and how much it would hurt him.

In the chaos that followed, amid the screaming for his head or at the very least his expulsion, a few quieter voices spoke up and suggested an alternative to ostracization or outright physical assault. One of those people was Matthew Stevenson who'd gotten into the habit of hosting a weekly Shabbatt dinner in his dorm for anyone who wanted to join. When he extended an invitation to Derek and Derek accepted he took the first step toward shedding a lifetime of hatred. It wasn't easy. It didn't happen over night and the cost is something Derek carries with him every day. But it happened.

This book made me think and it made me hopeful. Because if Derek can change and turn his astounding intellect and heart toward fighting for the very things he spent his whole life railing against, if he could turn against a beloved family and an audience of thousands who hung on his every word and trade it all in for death threats and disownment then it absolutely is possible for this country to turn back from the path it is on.

Please read this book. It doesn't matter who you are or who you voted for or what you believe in. This book is vital to understanding that anyone can change when we take the time to talk to each other and really listen to the answers to the questions we ask.

We have to take our rage and our righteous indignation and do something with it. Its not enough anymore to just get angry and use the right hashtags and speak truth through bumper stickers and flags. We have to start engaging with the people we want to change. If we really want things to be different then we need to stop preaching to the converted. We need to stop preaching period. We need to talk and we need to listen. We don't have to be defined by our ideologies, not if we don't want to be.

Derek proves that it doesn't matter how you were raised or what you believe in the very fiber of your being is true. It isn't easy, it doesn't feel good or even seem like its worth it some of the time. It hurts and people will scream in your face that you're an idiot and that you're wasting your time, and you might feel like you're failing right up until the very end but it is possible to bridge the deepest, widest divide and lead someone out of the darkest, most vile way of seeing the world.

Derek proves that.

[Darlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would rate this book 3.5 stars.

This book, 'Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist', written by 'Washington Post' reporter Eli Saslow was difficult, uncomfortable and disturbing to read. The book tells about a transformation which occurred in the life of white supremacist Derek Black. Derek had been considered a rising star in the white nationalist movement . Godson of former Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard David Duke and son of Don Black, creator of the white supremacist website, Stormfront, Derek Black had been enveloped in this community of white supremacists from the time he was a young child. Not wanting Derek to attend public schools (inappropriate because they were integrated and 'liberal'), the Blacks decided he would be home-schooled. This task fell mainly to Don Black, who frequently traveled to white nationalist conferences and took his young son with him. Derek Black was so much a part of this community that at the age of 10, he created a website for children which featured racist and anti-Semitic songs and games; and this site was so popular that it attracted over a million visitors. And when Derek got older, he co-hosted a radio show with his father in which they advocated for a 'whites-only country'.

I believe it is fair to say that not only was Derek Black completely immersed in the ideology and culture of white supremacy but he was also completely sheltered from interacting with anyone who didn't share his beliefs.. that is, until he went away to attend college. Upon arriving in Sarasota to attend the New College of Florida in 2010, Derek must have experienced culture shock. The New College is described as 'liberal' and diverse which was a much different environment for Derek to find himself in as he had spent his life surrounded only by white people who shared a particular ideology. Interestingly, Derek became friends with a number of people outside of his comfort zone, one of whom was a Jewish student who invited him to share Shabbat dinners every Friday evening.

Needless to say, Derek Black kept his ideology to himself when he arrived at New College. He seemed to be living a kind of double life... immersing himself in the liberal and diverse views of campus life (or at least never publicly questioning those views) and becoming friends with people who would have been horrified by his views. And at the same time, he continued to work in the 'family business' of white supremacy. His ability to lead his double life came to an end though.... a student who was working on a thesis came across Derek's name in a file of white extremists. This student shared links to various articles Derek had written and links to his radio show with the entire school on the college's forum. As you might expect, Derek's views caused a controversy across campus and he became an overnight pariah. Some students refused to speak to him while others confronted him about his bigoted beliefs. He became isolated on campus... choosing only to attend class and spending the rest of his time alone in his apartment.

Eventually, Derek met a young woman of Jewish ancestry... Allison Gornick , who according to the author of this book, became instrumental in helping Derek transform his views. Allison had heard about the controversy surrounding Derek on campus and she was curious about him. Writing about Allison's first meeting of Derek, Eli Saslow writes... ".. he seemed quite quirky, gentle and interesting- nothing like the extremist she had expected." Alison was intrigued and she seemed to have made it her mission to convince Derek Black of the wrongness of his bigoted ideology.

Derek and Allison began a friendship which later blossomed into a romance; and over the course of their relationship, Allison tirelessly and meticulously researched scientific studies and arguments which she believed countered the pseudoscience that Derek had internalized while growing up in the white nationalist movement. For some time, it didn't seem that she was making progress.... for every scientific study she confronted Derek with, he presented a counter-study which he believed affirmed his beliefs. At some point, however, this stalemate between them seemed to break...and I admit that this is where the book seemed to fall apart for me. Perhaps Derek began to change his mind because the cognitive dissonance he had been clinging to just wasn't sustainable any longer.... after all, how could he continue to share Shabbat dinners with Jewish friends and how could he be falling in love with a woman whom he believed to be inferior and was part of a group he believed should 'self-deport'? The problem for me was that Derek's change of heart.. and mind... seemed almost convenient and I couldn't grasp what the turning point actually WAS for him. His transformation seemed unclear and therefore, I remained skeptical of the claims made in this book.

From the beginning of the book, I was bothered by the fact that Derek did not choose to tell the story of his transformation in his own words, but rather, he allowed a journalist to tell his story. Eli Saslow did state that he spent hundreds of hours interviewing Derek Black and his family members but as I continued to read it often seemed that a great deal of what was relayed to Eli Saslow came from Allison Gornick. Derek Black's thoughts and feelings remained elusive and I couldn't gain a clear understanding of what it was that changed for him. Derek's voice was difficult to find in this book and I couldn't shake my skepticism.

Certainly I can't prove or disprove Derek's change of heart and mind regarding the racist and bigoted views he had held for much of his life and perhaps my skepticism is unfair; but I wasn't convinced by the story put forth in this book. There was no natural flow to the story. What I frequently felt was that the change in Derek's beliefs seemed to be a bit convenient. After all, he had been ostracized and isolated at college, The stress and loneliness of his day-to-day life must have been difficult for him to endure. Also he fell in love with a young woman who, in my view, would not have ever returned his feelings if he had not experienced a change in his ideology and clearly and publicly denounced that ideology. And I admit that I found a comment made by Derek's father, Don to have some merit. When Don discovered that Derek was rejecting the beliefs he had been raised with, Don was convinced that this was something Derek probably needed to do to have a successful career in academia.... To be fair to Derek, I have to also mention that his relationship with his family has been greatly affected by his decision to publicly renounce their beliefs and this has caused him great deal of distress. From all descriptions in the book, the family had always been close-knit; and Derek and his father had always been particularly close. In the end, I have to admit that only Derek Black knows how he truly feels and what he believes.

I WILL say that if you want a peak into the world of white nationalism, this book does provide a startling and sickening view. Although many reviews of this book have described the book as inspiring and optimistic, I can't really say that I share that view. This book confirmed for me how daunting a task it will be to change the hearts and minds of believers of this hateful ideology.

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Library overdrive Audiobook….read by Scott Brick, and Eli Saslow
….9 hours and and 2 minutes

The blurb gives an excellent overview of who Derek Black is.
Author Eli Saslow gives us the fuller unabridged story.
This is an audio-listening-magnet ….
….a true-storytelling journey-
from extreme ideology — horrific injustice — and understandings of what happens when a young person is indoctrinated in hate at a young age — to confronting every aspect of the harm spurred….. to atonement.
An eye-opener that gave me a glimmer of hope for future.

TOTALLY ENGROSSING…..( yep, I didn’t believe it myself) —Its NOT dry or boring at all!!

Many thanks to Amy — I took a chance on this book due to her powerful review.

I highly recommend it.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

I clearly have a thing for reading difficult books which is why my reading has slowed down so much this month. Please be aware that this book is about a former white nationalist. Ideas expressed in this book do include racist, anti-Semitic, anti-LGBT, anti-immigration rhetoric. Keep your mental health in mind when reading this book.

Whew! Another book about white nationalism. Part of me wonders why I keep reading these books because it can be infuriating, but another part of me wants to understand the supposed logic behind the arguments of white supremacists and white nationalists. Rising Out of Hatred specifically follows the journey of Derek Black and how he eventually turns his back on white nationalism. This, in Black's position, was extremely radical because he was the godson of the infamous David Duke and his father was the founder of Stormfront, an extremely popular forum for white nationalists. A lot of this book centers around Derek understand the flaws in logic of white nationalism after encountering the very people it stands against. As I always state in any discussion about race, it is easy to make judgements about groups that you don't have to interact with. Once you put a face and name to the very human rights you're trying to destroy things get a little tricky. And this is exactly what happened with Black. While attending college, he befriended the very individuals his family hated. He became educated on the actual statics regarding marginalized group and realized that he had everything wrong.

This book doesn't absolve Black of anything that he has done. In fact, it begs the reader to see how even with his removal from white nationalism, Black has influenced hundreds of young individuals making their way into white nationalism. It goes to show the nasty, lingering affects harmful rhetoric can have. I think for me it was interesting to see how flawed Black was in his debating. He often stuck to "talking points" when he was able to extend the conversation further. It made me think "do these people truly believe what they're are saying?" This book also highlighted the smart and tactical way in which white nationalism as infiltrated our governmental system. Those who identify as white nationalist often do not do so in public and they also do not use overt racist terms. They use rhetoric that often coincides with anti-immigration laws or disenfranchisement. It's crazy how many people who are current US politicians actually identify with white nationalist beliefs.

Overall, I thought that this was done well. It was difficult realizing all of the hateful information that Black passed around as a child, but I also know who his parental supervisors were. From a humane side of all of this, I know that it must have been hard for Black to lose all of his family. While they are hateful, racists, and bigoted they are the only family he has ever known. But he made the tough decision to do what was right and I commend him for that. I'll definitely be looking for more stories like this one. If you're looking for an interesting non-fiction book I would recommend checking this out.

[Elizabeth☮ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I work at a school that is predominately Latino. There used to be a young white teacher that had a flag hung up in her room that had a snake coiled up on it with the phrase, "Don't Tread on Me" across the bottom. My association with this flag and phrase connected to the Tea Party and the ideology of white nationalism.

One morning I went in to her room and asked her about it. I explained my only associations with this flag. She explained how she came to purchase it and that she had no idea the phrase had been adopted by the Tea Party as a source of outrage at the state of affairs in the U.S. I left the room not truly convinced, but glad I had the conversation.

This teacher never took her flag down, but she made an effort to cover the "Don't Tread on Me" phrase at the bottom of it by strategically placing books and other items in front of it. The phrase remained covered for rest of that school year. When we returned the following school year, the phrase was on full display again.

I offer up this story because when I kept speaking with my husband about it, he replied, "That's better than what most people typically do if they are racist. At least you know where she stands." I guess that's one way to look at it.

This book elucidates how Trump came in to power with the help of a silent majority. Every person I speak to, with the exception of very few, is shocked that Trump is president, convinced he will be ousted at any moment. And yet, there he is looking down on all of us. Many people won't admit adhering to the underlying racism that he promotes, but ah they must.

Derek Black is a young man that was brought up in an insular world of white nationalism. His father, Don Black, is the founder of the website Stormfront which espouses racial superiority and the invasion of minorities to the U.S. At the age of twenty, Black goes off to a liberal arts college in Florida in hopes of justifying his place in the white nationalist movement with a credible degree from a credible school. But Black is slowly brought up against the realities of the vitriol he has spewed on both the Stormfront website and the radio show he co-hosts with his father. At college, he meets people of color, gay people and Jewish people that turn his worldview sideways. He must reckon with his beliefs in ways he has never had to do in his own home and in his small world of white nationalists.

Once Black makes the decision to denounce the white nationalist movement, he takes the risk of losing his family and friends in the only community he has known his entire life. Black changes his name in an effort to become anonymous and rebuild his life without the history of hate. "Trump's rise reminded him [Derek] of what he had always known as a white nationalist and what he had spent the last years trying to forget. 'Intrinsically, white people in this country always expect that their interests should come first,' ... 'American history is so fundamentally based on white supremacy that it's still the basis for most of our culture and politics.'”

Saslow does an excellent job of taking us inside the head of the young Derek Black, as well as his father, Don Black. David Duke is Black's godfather, so we hear the influence he has had on the Black family. I couldn't put this book down as I read it. I had to share its contents with everyone I spoke to in the few days I read it. I feel that it's an important reminder that we not become complacent in our politics and in our daily awareness of racial equity in this country.

side note: The New College where Black attended university "overhauled its board of trustees in an attempt to transform the honors college into a conservative institution." This happened under DeSantis and the college lost forty percent of its students.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the 2016 presidential election and unexpected win of Donald Trump, information and news of White Nationalism reached an increased level of public awareness. In his candid new book “Rising Out Of Hatred: The Awakening Of A Former White Nationalist” Pulitzer Prize winning author Eli Saslow diligently and fearlessly explores how Derek R. Black was raised in a culture of intolerance, racism, and hate by his father-- a former grand wizard of the KKK, and the notorious national spokesman and Klansman leader David Duke. Only the persistant and dedicated efforts of his ethnic and minority friends prompted Derek to examine, question and ultimately denounce the values and beliefs of which he was raised associated with White Supremacy.

When Derek arrived at the New College of Florida (2010), the highest rated transformative liberal arts college in the state it was easy for him to blend in. He enjoyed his friendships with minority students and the companionship of his Jewish girlfriend, Rose. Behind his college scene, Derek continued to be the facilitator moderator of his father’s White Nationalist website Stormfront with over 300,000 subscribers. Derek learned the necessity of keeping his true identity underground-- the movement was affiliated with the unpopular radicalism of the Neo Nazi’s. At large meetings and conventions Nationalist members, speakers and leaders congregated in secrecy under aliases and assumed names to protect themselves against attacks and potential violence.
In his senior year at New College, Tom McCay was working on his senior project on domestic extremism. McCay’s 150 page thesis focused on the explosive growth of the radical right, the conspiracy centered “Patriot movement” and over 1,000 domestic hate groups in the US, his basic research included the monitoring of Stormfront. Through McCay’s research, Derek was outed on campus. The outrage against him was severe. On the school forum Derek received a deluge of hate mail, was openly heckled and shunned. Rose wondered if Derek was using her for cover, and refused to see him again.
A few of his friends continued to have Derek in their lives, reasoning that he couldn’t learn that his beliefs were wrong if he were ostracized. Matthew Stevenson and Moshe Ash continued to welcome Derek at Shabbat dinners. Derek was attracted to Allison, and although Allison found his Stormfront ideology and posts disturbing and offensive, there was something about him she liked and trusted. Derek moved from the campus into a rental unit, his landlord was wary of Derek’s reputation, but liked Derek so much he eventually allowed him to stay in his rental for free.

Don had raised his only son to take his place on Stormfront and become a great White Supremacist leader. When this didn’t happen, some of Derek’s family members disowned him after he publically renounced White Nationalism. Derek received threats from a few radical members of the movement, and changed his name before he moving to Michigan to pursue graduate studies, and later he would attend the University of Chicago to earn a PhD. Don, heartbroken and in poor health, spent hours with Saslow in recorded interviews for this outstanding and exceptionally researched book. It was educational to learn more about White Nationalism from an administrative and leadership viewpoint, and Derek’s remarkable conversion from hate to a genuine love for his fellow man regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or religion. **With thanks and appreciation to Doubleday via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.

[Perry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've seen the evil and the damage done
a little bit of it in everyone

Nearly perfect, and one I consider a must-, read.

Thought-provoking and enlightening on white supremacy ideas and propaganda in the U.S.A., its preachers and flock, these perpetrators of hate, perpetuators of evil; as well as on how some of their most basic myths and bullshit were appropriated and continue to be used by a U.S. president as a means of fueling hatred among his base and expediting many voters' fear of those who aren't like them (in their skin color, nationality, religion, sexuality).

The book also reminded me of the benefits and blessing of a higher education that includes the liberal arts. Further, it stands as a tribute to those college classmates of a young white nationalist leader, who are Jewish, gay, or of another race, courageous, kind and selfless enough to befriend this enemy and help to slowly and eventually transform his mind, via friendship and the art of gentle, subtle and patient persuasion.

Highly recommended.

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two years ago I read a Washington Post article, written by Saslow, about Derek Black's departure from white nationalism. Black was once considered the heir to the white nationalist movement, he is the son of Don Black founder of Stormfront (a White Nationalist website) and the godson of David Duke former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan (Don Black was also a former Grand Wizard). Black's rise out of white nationalism would not have occurred if it were not for his college friends who talked and shared with him research debunking his racist views. We need more people like them to help in the struggle of tamping down racism. The father of one of Derek's friends said it best when he said that we need to "reach out and extend the hand, no matter who's waiting on the other side".

[Sleepless Dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. I feel the urge to recommend it to everyone I know.

So, Rising Out of Hatred tells us about Derek, who grows up in one of the most prominent white supremacist families. It describes the way he goes to a liberal college and his opinions begin to shift.

When I first saw this book, I felt skeptical. I was afraid it would come across as overly righteous or smug, that it would lack nuance. Nothing could actually be further from the truth. In fact, one of the best things about this book is the complicated picture it presents. We get to meet Derek who seems like a great person and it's so easy to understand how challenging this entire process is for him. This book doesn't shy away from showing the positives and the negatives of every situation it portrays, from the aggressive left wing people in the college to all the way to the way Derek's father cares for him. 

There are so many relevant questions that this book brings up. What do you do when a white supremacist decides to join a liberal space? How far does freedom of speech go? What does it take to change someone's mind? What makes us believe in opinions?

I liked how this book highlighted that Derek wasn't violent or even rude and how the people who were willing to engage with him were the ones who influenced him the most in the end. Of course, this book also brings up how challenging it is to be friends with someone who believes that you are not equals. 

The way the liberal college was portrayed was eye opening. As someone who could easily relate to the people in Derek's college, this somehow felt like looking into a mirror and wondering where I'd be in this story. I absolutely want to be the type of person who hosts Shabbat dinners that are open for everyone and truly, this book shows how kindness makes an impact towards everyone. 

Beyond that, as a university student, I shy away from talking about politics with my classmates. I've accepted that my opinions are such a mishmash that no matter who I'll talk to, I'll eventually enrage them. People from my degree tend to be very righteous and somewhat aggressive when discussing politics and I am a terribly sensitive person (shoutout to that guy from my degree who shouted at me that he can't believe I'm that stupid and then got annoyed when I said that I don't intend to speak to him again and claimed that's just how he communicates, as if that's a valid excuse). All together, I've just stopped trying and really, this book made me think about how toxic it is that my year is not yet able to create a space that's comfortable for everyone, even if we are very diverse as a group. 

This book describes Derek numerous times as well spoken so when I finished the book, I ended up watching several interviews. He is most certainly well spoken. I found that I deeply admire him. It would be easy for him to claim (and quite rightfully) that a lot of his right wing leanings weren't his fault- he grew up in this environment and was home schooled so he never really experienced anything else. Even if he was active in politics, I don't think political opinions are really your own until you begin to disagree with your parents.
 
That said, Derek absolutely never does that. He seems to own entirely his mistakes. He comes across as so remorseful and genuine. In general, it seems easy to understand why his classmates struggled to see him as a white supremacist. 

Which, of course, is a fantastic point. It's tempting to picture white supremacists as scary gun wielding men (who ignore so many of the gun laws we learned in the army which is even more scary, I see the pictures in the rallies now and it's just like, "NEVER EVER POINT A GUN ON SOMETHING YOU DON'T INTEND TO SHOOT, WHAT ARE YOU DOING"). However, Derek is none of those things. He's gentle and soft spoken and yet, that didn't stop him from feeling so hateful about others. I think that's an important lesson. 

Throughout the book, Derek points out that so many of us have racist leanings. Even if we aren't active in such communities, this book has a great point when it says that many people agree with sentiments from these movements. These people are everywhere and it's our responsibility to engage with them. This isn't just a niche thing that exists online, people chose to elect Donald Trump, knowing fully well what his opinions were.
 
As a leftist, reading this book was fun. I mean, you get to see someone embrace your opinions. It's always great to feel validated that you're on the right path. This made me question what it would feel like to read an opposite story. It's easy to claim Derek needs to change all of his opinions into my own opinions but the thought that maybe everything I think is wrong and that I myself need to change everything is so intimidating. Of course, we see the way Derek slowly changed his mind through facts and experiences. In one of the interviews, he says that he thinks that if your opinions come from not wanting to hurt people, he feels that's a good path. Basing yourself off critical thinking and connections with communities seems like a good way to go.

As a final point about this book, I was shocked by the amount of antisemitism in white supremacist movements. Before reading this book, I read a blog post claiming that Israel is a white supremacist state and it was jolting to suddenly see people claim that Jews are actually not white. It shows that Jews are simultaneously attacked by white supremacists and being told that they are white supremacists (also, ugh, Americans thinking that their views on race are applicable for everyone). It feels like in many ways, Jews don't have a comfortable space in both leftists spaces and right wing spaces, and that's very unfortunate.

It's so weird because I don't want to be the type of Jew that feels antisemitism is a real concern. That said, you look at the statistics and well, nearly 60% of the hate crimes against religious people were against Jews. Suddenly, Derek claiming that Jews have manipulative powers doesn't seem that funny (okay, it's still a little funny though because Jews are quite possibly the nerdiest and least violent minority out there). 

To sum up, I loved this book. I think it's very well researched, clear and engaging. It's a fascinating read and especially with American elections coming up soonish, I think it's relevant even more nowadays. 

What I'm Taking With Me
- I hope Alison and Derek are still together, they seem like such a cute couple, based on the texts in the book. 
-  I can't decide if I feel this book is super hopeful because it shows everyone can change or very depressing because it shows the amount of work it takes for someone to change their mind.
- I'm tempted to recommend this book to European friends (and especially Germans) just to hear them rant about how white Americans have nothing to do with Europeans at this point. 

[Mehrsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really excellent book and very readable. In a way, it's a window into a world that is so scary and out there, but on the other hand, it's also relatable in that it's about a kid who escapes the cult he was raised in. One of my law professors, Bryan Stevenson, once said that teaching a child racism is abuse. Dylan was abused and brainwashed by David Duke and his dad. And he escaped the training.

It was fascinating to see how his liberal college classmates dealt with them. There's a lot of talk these days about snowflakes and safe spaces and people who claim microagressions and how "coddled" they are. Saslow includes the conversations on the college forum where the kids struggle with what to do with an active white supremacist on campus and the dialogue is super illuminating. I was really impressed with these kids. Impressed with their entire generation. They debated it and many decided to shun him. Some decided to befriend him. It was the ones who befriended him who got through, but it was the collective shunning that made it slip. Seems like each time the girlfriend or the other friends would help him take a step, the college mob would push harder and Dylan kept moving toward them. They fought him with data and with emotion and some of them embraced him and invited him to dinner.

This was a really hopeful book to read right now. It ends with a contrast between Dylan and Richard Spencer. Spencer is the white power golden boy that is taking the slot that was meant for Dylan. I imagine Dylan is living a much better life than Spencer is.

[Dianne · Rating 5 out of 5]

One well-known white nationalist will find the ideology he grew up with no longer held power over him and all it took was good friends, diversity of thoughts and learning to listen to “the rest of the story.”

Derek Black had the nation’s ear, even at the age of nineteen with the backing of his father, Don Black and his godfather, David Duke, former KKK Imperial Wizard. His world is enlarged and his eyes and heart are opened when he is befriended by a Jewish student, a strong-minded young woman. Is this proof that communication is the key to peace and understanding?

Difficult to read, offensive to some, this is the journey Derek Black took to his own enlightenment that required him to break with his family’s beliefs, they lifelong advocacy.

In a country that claims “all are welcome, all are equal,” Eli Saslow’s in depth narrative, RISING OUT OF HATRED is a raw, unvarnished and revealing saga of one young man’s life, and the soul-searching he faced before taking a giant step into manhood and real humanity.

I was mesmerized, appalled and felt ill to think that such a closed-minded attitude is so easily and blindly adopted. Eli Saslow has done a remarkable job of presenting a fair presentation that comes alive with each word. In a world with so much hatred, Derek Black’s transformation is a beacon of hope for the future, because change only happens one person at a time.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Doubleday!

Publisher: Doubleday (September 18, 2018)
Publication Date: September 18, 2018
Genre: Ideologies & Doctrines | Non-Fiction
Print Length: 304 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews, Giveaways, Fabulous Book News, follow: http://tometender.blogspot.com

[H (trying to keep up with GR friends) Balikov · Rating 4 out of 5]

"“The future of our movement is to become fully mainstream,” Duke told the crowd, so he’d reserved one of the conference’s keynote speeches for an up-and-coming white nationalist leader who represented that future. “I’d like to introduce the leading light of our movement,” Duke said. “I don’t know anybody who has better gifts. He may have a much more extensive national and international career than I’ve had. Derek, can you come on up?” Duke motioned to the corner of the room, where a nineteen-year-old community college student was hunched behind a laptop, running a live radio broadcast of the event for the online radio station he started himself. “We are so privileged to be with you,” Duke said, before turning back to the audience. “Ladies and gentlemen, here is Derek Black.”"

And this is how we are introduced to the subject of Saslow’s book: There was a time when over 90 percent of Americans cultivated crops and raised animals for food. Now it seems like a large part of America is involved in cultivating racism and raising grievances. And the effort has been successful. This is the story of Derek Black the son of Don Black who has nurtured his grievances for decades using public gatherings, the media and his own creation, Stormfront, to rally others to the cause. Derek had his own show and podcast from before he turned 10 with thousands of eager readers and listeners. Here is how they marketed their message:

"Derek and other activists were “simply trying to protect and preserve an endangered heritage and culture,” he said. They were trying to save whites from an “inevitable genocide by mass immigration and forced assimilation.”"

"“The future is bright,” Don said in Memphis. “We have more potential now than we’ve ever had. I’ve never seen so many mad people. Their country is being taken away from them. They are looking for answers and we will provide those answers. I’m now convinced that any successful white revolution in this country will come largely from inside politics.”

"“These Republican Jews are particularly vile,” Don later wrote on Stormfront. “They’d kill us without a second thought, like they’ve been threatening to do, if they thought they could get away with it.”"

And yet, before long, we are told of how conflicted Derek was even as he turned 20: "Every day he waited to be unmasked, the tension exploding within him in waves of anxiety and guilt. Either his New College friends would learn about his political activism and shun him, or, much worse, white nationalists would discover that he had befriended a Peruvian immigrant and begun dating a Jewish woman…"

This is being framed as an uplifting real-life story. And, indeed, it is a well-told tale of Derek Black’s journey away from the racist, white supremacy path that he chose at an early age. But for every Derek Black leaving these groups, how many remain? How many of those were involved in acts of violence or insurrection during the past decade? How many will read this book and see anything of value in it?

I have some problems with the way Saslow presents the material but right now I need to give myself some distance before that analysis can begin. I will ponder some of the elements of this book for a long time.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 5 star winner from the girl who generally doesn't care for non-fiction! I was completely riveted and engaged in this. Getting acquainted with the power and widespread nature of this insidious movement was naturally scary and disturbing. And by the end of the book, where it is clear how our past administration's political structure was embedded with these ideas - and gave clear green light to hate, and to the widespread dangerous growth of these ideas, well that is downright frightening, and the political climate we are standing in. I had never even heard of Stormfront. How naive indeed I was about the power and impact of White Supremacy. Deeper than I even understood and that my rose colored glasses could take in. Basically they put up Trump as the figurehead for how their ideas would help America and themselves. It became the underlying politic, and their hate and their power flourished to levels that are so frightening. We have deeply understood what is at stake. And yet their movement is flourishing, enjoying a revival of heights never imagined.

But the real grab of the story - is my obsession with resiliency and transformation. That has always been the thing that has kept me going. Growth mindset. My dissertation was even on resiliency from traumatic experience. I wouldn't have even picked up this book, if not for the knowledge, that a person was going to make a radical transformation, have a complete awakening, and naturally, I want to know how he did it. What are the circumstances that would make a person completely change every belief system they had ever held dear, and leave their family, community, religion, even when they were the 'heir apparent.' I had never even heard the name Derek Black before. I do not run in those circles. It takes a lot of courage to renounce all the beliefs and acts you have had a role in instigating, and believe me, we need that courage now more than ever, for folks to be able to stand up for humanity and each other. To be able to apologize and be accountable, and to be a part of the change and the healing. Throughout the book, I was asking myself a lot of the questions his liberal college community was asking themselves and each other. Does ostracizing him perpetuate the hate and divide? What do I make of the fact that at least five people thought otherwise, and that the college eventually also stood for that same principle, maybe he will learn and experience something if we befriend him. So numerous people, most of minority status, decided otherwise. They wanted to befriend him, get to know him, and more importantly, have him get to know them, and their stories. That is indeed what changed Derek's mind. His respect and love for the people he met and who had the courage to openly debate with him. Perhaps there is something in there we can learn from in our current situation. Perhaps there is a way where hate can be transformed with intimacy and relationship that cannot exist up against the irrational hateful arguments. And of course, in order to awaken, Derek had to lose not just the adoration and his role as the heir apparent, he had to lose his entire family and community and mentors. His parents, grandparents, sisters, and his beloved niece. You can't help wondering what will happen to the niece as she grows and remembers her extremely fond memories of Derek. Maybe she even reads the book. And lastly, would it have ever been possible for Derek to have separated, if he hadn't fallen in love. If he hadn't had someone to support him through it. If he hadn't had the community that was 'holding' him through this. What incredible courage of these five individuals to believe in their ability to change his mind, simply by love and friendship, humanity, rigorous debate, logic, and patience. What incredible courage that was, for folks to invest in his personhood, and take the chance they would invest in his. And to let yourself fall in love? The biggest risk of all. That was fascinating, and one can't help really being astounded by the power of one young girl who can change the world. Isn't that what we tell our kids and tell ourselves? That one person can change the world? That one person standing up for what's right against a mountain of hate, can make the entire tide turn? That is the story of Purim, the holiday during which I read the bulk of this riveting book.

Another question I have had, is where do we go from here with the deep divides? How is healing possible? We do not listen to former QAnon folks and former white supremacists to just be shocked and horrified. We want to know how to do it. How to connect with loved ones, with under-educated and under exposed people. We want to know how to stop the hate. Books like this, and the courageous people who undertook the journey, as well as the project to publish it, well add Eli Saslow to the list of people who are changing the world with Derek's Story and Life.

I wanted to mention something about Eli Saslow, and the access he was given, not just by Derek and his close current allies. But how Grand KKK wizard Don Black, and I think even David Duke sat for interviews with him as well. The author was permitted to come along on these vulnerable family visits, and listen in. He spent countless hours interviewing Don Black, Derek's father and scion of the White Nationalist/Supremacist world. And Don answered honestly and vulnerably. The let Eli in. I can only wonder now, what do they make of the book? If they couldn't understand what had happened to their beloved son and heir apparent, does any of this narrative shed some light for them? Is there a chance that like what happens in the Mormon community, where ex-Mormons have a hell of a lot of community support for the questioning and the exiled, could such a community exist for former white supremacists? For former QAnon, where the questioning go? Again, this takes me back to the neice. I want to know if there is a sequel.... How the family puts it together now.

But the access, I had the association to Michael Wolff's Fire and Fury. (Am I getting the name of that author right? That was like 15-20 exposes ago, I have read at least ten, and that was my first.) One of the astonishing things about Fire and Fury, especially to Michael himself, is how deeply they let him in. How open they were, how much access to the crazy he was actually given. You'd think they would hide it better, but they did not. He was invited in to see everything. That's how deeply the Trump administration believed they were doing right and were for the good of America. They were shocked when Fire and Fury did not give them the adolation they expected. They believed they were selling their ideology, when the world was getting to see first hand and inner look. Every subsequent book had backed that vision up, and Trump began and continued an outward distrust of the press or anyone who dared to criticize, judge, expose, and dim his light. But they let him in fully and completely. The way the book reads, Steve Bannon was his major source, and Steve himself pretty much co-wrote or ghost wrote the thing. This felt similar. One is deeply in the mind of Don Black, and whether or not you can sense any possible room for conflictual feeling, one thing is true. As much as he is deeply embedded in white power as the bulwark and stalwart of his identity and foundation of his relationships, he also loves and respects his son, and doesn't want to lose him entirely. And theirin, is the first crack of conflict. When your son and heir apparent leaves you, loves you and leaves you, and says We Were Wrong, there is no way that that doesn't bring in some room, however slight for reflection. Letting Eli Saslow in on your process, is yet another sliver of window, that allow one to see, like those brave five at New College, maybe the crack is indeed how the light gets in.

[Ian Beardsell · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does a young rising star of the "white nationalist" movement, brought up immersed in a tight-knit family of white supremacists, come to realize that his "freedom of speech" and so-called rational ideas are hurtful to his fellow citizens, and eventually come to renounce and critique those past views? Washington Post writer Eli Saslow takes us on a fascinating journey, based on interviews with the subject himself, Derek Black; his father, Don Black, who had once been a KKK Grand Wizard and now a prominent blogger on "Stormfront"; along with various friends and acquaintances the younger black met at New College in Florida.

Derek Black was never some backward yokel. He was intelligent, well-educated, and ostensibly open-minded. When friends and colleagues at New College discovered his background, they were shocked, as Derek seemed such a reasonable, outgoing guy, completely fitting into their progressive college.

Perhaps this is what really worked in Derek's transition: although the majority of the campus shunned him and wanted him removed from their midst, a small group of friends, which included a small circle of Jews and Latin American immigrants that had already got to know Derek before he was "outed", did their best to continue to treat him as a friend. They didn't ostracize him, but kept a low-key friendship going. The Jewish group even invited him to their weekly Shabbat dinners! One young woman, Alison Gornick, started to get to know him better and better at these dinners and thought of Derek as salvageable--that calm rational discussion and debate of his ideas over time, would turn him around. Much to everyone's credit, it worked!

Perhaps this is not a strategy for every single racist, but I think every American concerned about race relations and the current tension in their country, much of it spurred on by the current occupant of the White House, should read this book. Folks need to realize that simply ostracizing, ridiculing, and belittling others whose views may be reprehensible to them does not usually work very well. Like Derek Black, much depends on the environment in which they are raised. If everyone in your family and extended social circle believes crazy stuff and you are totally immersed in it, it is most difficult to use rationality to think your way out of the very medium in which you and your loved ones live and breathe. Being called names and scorned doesn't really make you want to reach out to discover the viewpoints of the other side.

White nationalists are generally scared people, I believe. They see a way of life where their unacknowledged past-privilege of living in a great nation with tremendous wealth and resources must now be shared and distributed differently. Many of their familiar industries and jobs that go with them have been sent to the lowest bidder by faceless corporations. The world is a much smaller place due to international trade and social mobility, and the majority of people in it are not white-skinned but come from much different cultures. A knee-jerk reaction to such change is xenophobia, and in a sense that is understandable on one level.

It is not until we can feel somewhat safer in an expanded milieu and with the incredibly accelerating pace of change, that we can stop blaming the "other" amongst us. It is not until we learn more science and facts that we can see that there actually is no such thing as race. These are the conclusions to which Derek Black, the erstwhile superstar of white supremacy came after just a few years of being in that expanded milieu, with the guidance and support of a few people who cared about him as another person. Perhaps that is something valuable that the USA needs to learn right now.

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 5 out of 5]

My nonfiction pick of the year.

This might be the most uplifting book I’ve read in the last two years, which is the opposite of what I was expecting.

Love wins. Leading by example wins. Sharing experience and being honest works. This entire book was a stunning meditation on the power of sharing your experience and truth while Allowing the person the dignity to make a decision for themself based on that... Rather than “persuade” or arguing / trying to change their opinion or manipulate/bully even if you’re on “the right side”

It’s also a beautiful love story and the power of love, friendships, and community — especially of people who have faith and practice loving all people even those that harm them. That we must rise up and welcome people into our love bubble... even racists because love trumps hate. The cure for darkness is light.

Anger passes, retribution hurts everyone.

It’s also incredibly gripping, written like a novel or thriller — you won’t be able to put this down.

Also shocking and unexpected... this book explains, shows you how the 2016 election happened. you’ll see / understand how Trump was elected.

ALL THAT SAID, This book gave me so much hope. I’ve been hopeless and sad but between this book and the new Michael Moore documentary, I have incredible faith in young people who will bring us into a crayon box of love and out of the polarizing hate.

Finally, if you read Small Great Things (5-stars) you’ll really enjoy this book... it feels like a “sequel” or follow-up to one of the main characters in that book—his storyline stayed with me and this entire book kept shifting my mind to him. It was nice to dig in while knowing this isn’t fiction it’s a true story with an authentic happy ending

[Agla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is phenomenal. It is not an easy read but it is IMO a very important one. It is the story of Dereck Black the son of a notorious white nationalist and the Godson of David Duke, who has turned anti-racist activist. The narrative does not try to excuse his previous behaviour in any way. On the contrary, he owns up to what he did and you can feel how difficult the transition was to him. This was important I think because it's easy from my POV to say "you're just stupid, change your mind" but honestly it's not that simple. It read similar to getting out of a cult. This book showed, in a very interesting way (I could not put the book down), that everyone was facing a moral, Cornelian dilemma when Dereck started attending college. How should people react to his presence? What is the best course to make him change? Those are very really questions that I have been pondering for a long time myself because as a teacher you cannot just shun students who hold racist/sexist/homophobic worldviews. It really made think about how to reach out to students in similar situations. I really personally identified to the people who helped him, and it took more than 2 years so really kuddos to them for their patience because I know how difficult it can be. I have had to face student who were openly racist but also a 23 year old man who openly tried to justify his "right" to rape women (I'm not really paraphrasing). When facing those views, what can you do? Some of those comments come out of nowhere and my reaction has been less than ideal sometimes but some other times it kind of worked. I remember a 16 year old student who had far-right ideas and the prospect of seeing him twice a week was difficult for me. I would always push back and once another student told me "miss, stop he is gonna hit you. Don't you get he has far-right beliefs?". I don't know where that student is now, unfortunately, but by the end of the year he thanked me and I think that he was rethinking a few things. That experience was difficult for me and what struck me at the time was that a few colleagues had not noticed my student's extreme views. In France, we have "deradicalisation centers" and I was really thinking of trying to send him there. I told a few colleagues and they said "you don't get it, those are only for radical islamist" and I said "well my student is on the other end of the spectrum (so to speak) but he is talking of going to war and seems to have access to weapon..." My point is that, the threat of White Nationalism is not taken seriously enough, and this book really highlights that, which is why it's not an easy read.
The way Derek talked about what made him change resonated with me, and I think I already apply some helpful things. For example, he says that both parties must actually be listening to one another and feel safe and respected. Obviously in a teacher/student dynamic it's slightly different but I try to foster an environment in which everyone feels safe enough to say anything, even bad things. Then we collectively discuss them and hopefully it helps. (I personally don't think that deradicalisation centers can work and this book proves that. You can't force people to change, they need to be somewhat open to it and locking people up is NEVER a solution)
My only 2 niggles with this book were that we don't get to know enough about Derek's relationship to his teachers at the college and the role of sexism and women in the White Nationalist movement is not discussed enough. This last point is not absent but I wanted to know more. We learn a lot about Derek's father but not much about Derek's mom's role even though she married 2 Grand Wizards of the KKK. I would highly recommend this book.
Finally I would like to add that this book was at once depressing and hopeful. Hopeful because it IS possible to change people's minds, even the most radical. Depressing because it is a very lengthy process that requires a LOT of different elements. There are no easy solutions and the White Nationalist movement is even stronger than I suspected.

[Daniel Villines · Rating 4 out of 5]

From a political perspective, Rising Out of Hatred touches on a relevant issue that affects American society. It provides insights into how the Republican Party co-opted racism and bigotry in order to keep their ever-slipping grip on power. It acknowledges the white nationalist movement’s shifting image from one of aggression to one of being a victim of the willful genocide of the "white race." Both of these maneuvers served to soften the perception of the white supremacist movement, attract passively consensual supporters, and gave the Republican Party cover for accepting an overtly racist constituency. However, while this aspect of the book is interesting, there are probably books out there that present this subject more concisely.

Fundamentally, Rising Out of Hatred is about the conversion of Derek Black from the preordained future leader of the white supremacist movement in America into a real human being. The story is quite remarkable given that his father was Don Black, a former KKK Grand Wizard and creator of Stormfront.com, and that his “Godfather” (the x-husband of Derek’s mother) was David Duke.

As the story progresses, it becomes apparent that Derek’s transformation was really a matter of luck. Had Derek’s parents not been so overconfident in their brainwashing of Derek, he would probably have been persuaded to stay immersed in their bubble of stupidity rather than allowing him to go off to college. Had Derek been older than he was, his white supremacist ideas would have probably been solidified in his mind, rejecting out of hand more realistic ideas. But, I’ll take luck, if that’s what it takes to make humanity whole again.

As Rising Out of Hatred continues towards its end, it becomes clear that Derek is not the hero of this story as the title might suggest. He experienced no epiphanies nor made any self-possessed efforts to realize truths about humanity. A small group of classmates befriended Derek. They are the true heroes. Each one of them saw Derek as human first and ignored his race in their quest to present reality. They are the ones that walked into the fire and extinguished the flames.

But in the end, Derek Black worked for contrition. He did not simply fade away into retirement. He actively spoke out against the irrational ideas, the stupidity, and the realities of white nationalism. And for that he earned my forgiveness.

[Jolanta (knygupė) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Išsami Pulitzer Prize finalisto, žurnalisto Eli Saslow knyga apie baltąjį nacionalizmą ir baltųjų rasės viršenybę propoguojančias organizacijas Jungtinėse Amerikos Valstijose. 

Knygos stuburui autorius naudoja Darek Black (įdomus pavardės sutapimas) istoriją. Darek Black buvo jaunimo lyderis viename iš baltųjų nacionalistų judėjimų. Jo krikštatėvis David Duke -  Ku Klux Klan (KKK) Grand Wizard ir American Nazi Party narys, tėvas - taip pat KKK Wizard ir priklausė JAV naciams. Darek Black turėjo savo radijo šou, kuriame skleidė baltojo radikalizmo idėjas. Įstojes mokytis į liberalųjį Floridos New College, jis pradėjo gyventi dvigubą gyvenimą. Vis dar aktyviai dalyvavo judėjime, vedė radijo laidas, tačiau koledže apie savo įsitikinimus neprasitarė. Net sužinojęs, jog jo mergina yra žydaitė, nenutraukė santykių. Galiausiai, jį pradėjo varginti ši dvigubystė ir jis "prisidavė" koledžo bendruomenei parašęs laišką/straipsnį apie savo pažiūras.
Iš pradžių kilo didelis pasipiktinimas, tačiau koledžo bendruomenei aprimus, užsimezgė diskusijos su draugais, kursiokais, jo naujaja mergina... Taip prasidėjo Darek Black transformacija iš fanatiško baltojo nacionalisto į aktyvų antinacionalistą.  

Man įdomiausia ir buvo skaityti apie tą virsmą, apie jo abejones, prisimenant ir analizuojant baltųjų nacionalistų melagingas klišes, kurias jis girdėjo nuo pat vaikystės.

'We're coming up to the critical moment. That's why I'm trying to warn people', - sako Darek Black, puikiai pažįstantis baltųjų nacionalistu virtuvę iš vidaus. Knyga išleista 2018 metais. Šių organizacijų "grožį" ir nuožmumą stebėjom 2021 prie JAV Kapitolijaus. 

Įdomi ir puikiai parašyta knyga besidomintiems šių dienų politinėmis aktualijomis. Ir nebūtinai JAV. Rekomenduoju. 

https://www.pbs.org/wnet/amanpour-and...

[Carrie Poppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic. An incredible page-turner that reads almost like a thriller. I loved it.

[Valleri · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the most important books I've ever read and I feel as though I'm a changed person after reading it! Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist tells the story of Derek Black, the son of Don Black. (Don led the Alabama Ku Klux Klan and went to prison for plotting to overthrow the Caribbean island of Dominica in order to establish a white ethnostate there.) Derek’s godfather is David Duke, a former Ku Klux Klan grand wizard. Together they groomed Derek from an early age to succeed them as a leader of the white nationalist movement. (They decided "white nationalist" sounded better than "white supremacist", just like "racialist" sounded better than racist.) Derek was homeschooled once he reached third grade, and he was fine with that. In fact, Derek wrote on his webpage, “It’s a shame how many white minds are wasted in [the public school] system.” At the time, he was 10 years old!

The evolution of Derek's core beliefs began in college when a fellow student (who was an Orthodox Jew), invited Derek to join the small group that celebrated a weekly Shabbat dinner. Matthew believed Derek would keep his abhorrent white nationalist views if everyone shunned him (as the rest of the school was doing) but that nonjudgemental inclusion had potential. It was also a student named Allison who won his trust, built a relationship, but [who] also armored herself with the facts, and showed Derek how this ideology was built on total misinformation. What follows is riveting. Horrifying. And hopeful.

[Nima Morgan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very fascinating, but it leaves me with a pondering thought : Can people genuinely change their core beliefs? I am intrigued to know how Mr. Black will continue his journey.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew very little about this book when I picked it up other than that a) it was about a recovering white nationalist/supremacist, and b) it was available on audiobook at the library. The first thing that surprised me was that it wasn't a memoir (a point in its favor), but rather, written by a journalist about its subject, Derek Roland Black.

For those who don't know (I didn't), Derek is the son of Don Black, the founder and proprietor of Stormfront, which was/is one of the interweb's premiere cesspits of racism (this I did know). And I'll say this with a whole bunch of caveats, but... I empathized with Derek about certain things from the beginning. He grew up being recognized as the heir apparent to the racist leadership of America. He was intelligent and charming enough to grow into that role encouraged and supported by said racist leadership (he's pals with David Duke, among others). He spent his whole childhood indoctrinated in this toxic ideology, praised for his ability to regurgitate it, and doted on by racist family members who claimed they didn't brainwash him. He was home schooled (a well known way to totally avoid brainwashing/sarcasm) and lived a fairly insular lifestyle among fellow white nationalists.

This is where the book picks up, because Derek then decided to go to New College of Florida, an actual university with a diverse student body. And that's where his mind started to change.

Ok, so circling back to why I have empathy for Derek. I definitely wasn't raised as a white supremacist. (I'm going to use supremacist and nationalist a little interchangeably because, honestly... if you're a white nationalist you're automatically a white supremacist whether you agree or not, and vice versa. They're basically interchangeable is what I'm saying.) I'd say my parents did a pretty good job on the whole. But they are opinionated people, and by attempting to raise me to be an intelligent person and good citizen... some of their opinions rubbed off on me. And it wasn't until I left home for college that I started questioning those opinions. And slowly but surely, those opinions sloughed off me like a second skin, as I studied and experienced my way into my own opinions. It was a gradual process, and it certainly wasn't as extreme was what's described in Rising Out of Hatred. But the fact is that I left home largely agreeing with my parents' worldview... and then I built my own. The building blocks of my worldview were the classes I took, the experiences I had, the people I met. Leaving home is a powerful drug! And now that I'm my own person, with a personal philosophy distinctly different from my family's, I shake my head ruefully at the ideas that I accepted wholeheartedly as a child and teenager. I didn't know what I didn't know!

Anyway, Derek goes through that same experience... but you know, to a way more extreme degree. His parents weren't the moderately conservative Catholic army veterans mine were. They were fucking Klan members. All of which is to say, I don't find his journey particularly fascinating or unique. I think every young person who goes to college far from home goes through the same process to one degree or another. It's just that he had a lot more childhood indoctrination to recover from.

Of course it took time. Of course it happened gradually. The way Saslow writes it, you can practically see the wheels turning in Derek's head as he pieces things together and starts to recognize the utter intellectual depravity (not to mention moral and ethical depravity) of the racism he was raised with. Of course he didn't connect the dots of racist ideology to racist violence until he was literally confronted with the descendants of Holocaust survivors and slaves and migrant workers.

The titular process of Rising Out of Hatred reads a lot like the process of grieving. There's a lot of bargaining going on in Derek's conversations with his friends. Then there's a lot of denial. Acceptance doesn't come all at once, and it's a long time coming.

I want to say some things about the students of New College, both those who befriended Derek and those who didn't.

The Jewish students and students of color and just decent, non-racist humans who befriended Derek get a lot of fucking credit for his transition. Like, A LOT OF FUCKING CREDIT. I can't imagine the fortitude and compassion required to invite a Holocaust-denier who believes brown people are subhuman to dinner with your Jewish and Latino friends. But these kids did it, and simply by welcoming him at their table they influenced him. Even though they didn't outwardly challenge him often, the showed him, by living example, that everything he'd been taught was wrong. Same goes for his girlfriend and the faculty members who bothered to engage with him. These people collectively deserve a medal for their gentle efforts to lead Derek out of racism. They fucking nailed it.

But at the same time, I do not at all blame the students who refused to welcome him with open arms. The students who shunned him, raged at him, and protested him... they deserve a goddamn medal too. Because by their actions, they also showed Derek that everything he believed and represented simply was not acceptable in civilized society. They didn't let him rest a minute on the cognitive dissonance of "well I think white people are better than black people but that doesn't mean I have anything to do with racist violence." They rammed the message down his throat constantly that believing racist ideology is violent. You can't spout this nonsense without contributing to real, actual harm against others. And the students who never gave up on their zero-tolerance tactic are to be commended as heroes. Especially the students of color. I can't imagine how exhausting it was for them to share their campus with Derek and constantly attempt to educate in the discussion on racism. They deserve a fucking vacation. Yes, a vacation from racism, but also just some time lazing on a beach drinking rum out of a coconut.

Ironically, I think it was the combination of both tactics that eventually contributed to Derek's conversion. Both the tough love and the friendly love helped to drag him through to the light. Which is why I won't condemn anyone for choosing either tactic. We have to try something.

I also want to commend Derek. Because it's real fucking easy to double down and get defensive when your ideas are challenged. It's also easy to lash out and fight back. But Derek did neither. Sure, at first he disengaged and denied. But then he was open to the conversations his friends wanted to have. More than that, he was willing to adjust his ideology over time. He renounced certain tenets of white nationalism one by one. And yeah, that's hella frustrating for any sane person watching... but again, it's kind of the only way it could happen. He was willing to change. He was smart and flexible enough to take in new information, reevaluate his former beliefs and sources... and come to new conclusions. That takes a lot of intelligence and character. Not his fault he was born into the Black family (yes, the irony doesn't escape me), but it would definitely be his fault if he'd made it through adulthood without changing the views to which his family education exposed him.

It's a good story, but not a great one. It's not super surprising, nor super engaging. And despite the author's journalistic pedigree, not super well written. But I think it's a story that needs to be told more often: we CAN change. We CAN confront family. We do not need to stick to the beliefs of our parents when new information shows that those beliefs are shitty. And we do not need to hide from the truth. "The truth will set you free."

Man, I hope this kid makes a long career as an anti-racist activist. He owes it to everyone who contributed to his rise out of hatred.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting book showing how a former White Nationalist, and one born and raised with that ideology, was able to realize the harm of his doctrine and break away. It really made me think, particularly as the only reason Derek was able to realize how wrong he and his family were was because of people reaching out in friendship and pushing back against his beliefs without vilifying him. Which is an incredibly difficult thing for those people to have done. Interesting and thought-provoking.

[Donna Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Derek Black was the heir apparent to the White Supremacist throne, godson of David Duke, and the son of the founder of the largest hate site in the U.S. This gripping biography tells the story of his transformation, from racist wunderkind to social justice proponent. Thanks go to Net Galley and Doubleday for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

As a young person bent on following his family’s toxic legacy, Black felt that part of the secret to gaining support was in softening the language that went with it. Rather than spewing angry racist jargon around, he argued, Caucasians should instead point to their own pride in ancestry. Everybody gets to be proud of who they are and where they came from, right? So his people just happened to be proud of being from Northern Europe. And then it follows that of course they would prefer to be surrounded by others like themselves. Thus, the call for a Euro-American homeland was, he argued, a reasonable demand.

Later he would hear some of his own catch-phrases used by members of the Trump cabinet.

Derek had never known anyone that wasn’t white; his parents had seen to that. When he went to the New College of Florida, he escaped the terrarium in which he’d been homeschooled, and he came to know a more diverse set of people. This story tells us not only of his own inner struggle and evolution, but also of the painstaking manner in which his new friends cultivated him and became an undeniable part of his life. They invited him to Shabbat meals regularly, gradually breaking down his resistance. In time he came to see the contradictions between the ideology in which he had been raised, and the reality of the human beings that were now part of his life.

I am amazed at the patience and perseverance of the young people that changed his thinking. I myself would have beat feet far away from a character like this guy, particularly given the enormous stake he had in remaining exactly who he’d been raised to be. Befriend this person? Why would anyone? But they did it, and they met with success.

Black was inclined to withdraw from public life, to fade into the general population as quickly as possible, but his girlfriend persuaded him that since he had made a difference in the wrong way, he owed it to the world to counter that with a more public repudiation.

Saslow is a Pulitzer winner, and his writing is tight and urgent. I didn’t put this story down often once I had begun it. At the same time, Black’s story is told so intimately that it feels a little strange to suddenly realize that Saslow is in it, and we don’t get much information as to how he got there. I would have liked to see a more natural segue from his development, to his conversations with his biographer. It felt a bit abrupt to me.

This, however, is a small concern. The book is fascinating, and you should get it and read it.

[Dianah (onourpath) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eli Saslow pens a riveting tale of the White Nationalist, Derek Black, who was tapped as the "heir apparent" to the leadership of the KKK, but eventually rejected that role. Growing up, Derek's father was a grand wizard for the KKK, and his mother was once married to David Duke. Accepting this political stance was just normal for Derek, but things began to change when he enrolled in a liberal arts college and was confronted with ideas that were opposite to his own. Saslow does an impeccable job of describing the inner micro-adjustments that occurred daily for Derek, and his long, slow slide to the left is a thing of beauty. Do not miss this superbly profound study in human nature, politics, racism, and family.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was granted access to an electronic copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I'd read Eli Saslow's profile, "The White Flight of Derek Black," in The Washington Post shortly after it was published. This book is largely an expansion of that article, one that digs more deeply into the story of Derek Black and how he came to renounce the white nationalist ideology in which he was raised. (His father, Don Black, is the founder of Stormfront, one of the most popular online forums for white nationalists of all stripes, as well as a good friend of David Duke.)

As a librarian and occasional teacher, it's heartening to see someone like Derek Black: strong in his convictions, but not so strong that he is unwilling to consider other perspectives or to shift his views when confronted with overwhelming, incontrovertible evidence. It's also a testament to the students of New College in Florida who chose to engage with Black rather than run him off campus - and, in doing so, managed to thoroughly change his views.

It's frightening to encounter familiar names in this story - Richard Spencer, Milo Yiannopolous, Matthew Heimbach, and David Duke - but even more terrifying is Derek's recognition of white nationalist talking points in the speeches of Donald Trump and his supporters, and his dismay at the damage he's already done.

This is a biography of Derek Black and the way his views evolved throughout his time in college, so if you're looking for solutions to the rise of white supremacy as a whole, you won't find them here. If you are interested in learning how one individual can change so drastically for the better, however, this is the book for you. I really can't say enough good things about it.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was not keen to tackle the Advance Reader copy of Eli Saslow's biography of Derek Black my son handed to me. The name was only vaguely familiar, the very notion of White Nationalism disgusts me, biographies bore me more often than not, and few professional journalists seem capable of writing full-length books without succumbing to the temptation of inserting a few morsels of literary fiction to add luster to the bare facts. Saslow, a Pulitzer Prize winner and staff writer for The Washington Post, has defied my predictions with his straightforward, clearly written report on the history of "White Nationalism" in the United States and how the young man groomed to take over the reins of that movement from his father and godfather experienced a radical transformation when exposed to other viewpoints and scientific facts during his college years.

Derek's parents viewed their son as an appendage or clone of themselves, expected him to embrace the "family ideology" and denied him opportunities to interact with people of other backgrounds and beliefs by removing him from the public school system at an early age while imbuing a sense of superiority in him. While they granted him wide latitude to explore his interests, they rarely left his side. His slow transformation, the patience of some of his classmates, and the reaction of his family when he eventually disavowed their racism is interesting, sad, and slightly hopeful.