Arno Michaelis identifies as a former white nationalist. For seven years he lived in a world of hate, leading a popular white-power punk rock band, Centurion, and cofounding a violent neo-Nazi gang that preyed on anyone who seemed different. His radicalization began in the punk scene as a form of rebellion and a desire to shock people, eventually morphing into a full-fledged white power ideology.
Michaelis claims antisemitism stands as the core, unifying belief that connects all forms of violent extremism, from the far right to the far left. His eventual escape from the movement was driven by exhaustion and the profound impact of receiving kindness from the very people he claimed to hate.
He contrasts the “laziness” of hate with the strength required for compassion and discusses his current work in counter-extremism, emphasizing that hate and violence are preventable.
Today, he’s working for the nonprofit Parents for Peace. He’s written two books, including one with Pardeep Kaleka, whose father was the first victim in the 2012 Sikh Temple shooting in Wisconsin.
Michaelis speaks to “Authorized Account” host Kevin Reilly about his former life of hate, how he eventually left it behind, and what people can do to prevent violence before it begins.
Visit Parents for Peace or Michaelis’s Instagram account.
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