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

Allison agrees to attend Derek’s Stormfront conference because she believes Derek is being dishonest with her about his beliefs, “watering down the true extent of his racism in order to preserve their friendship” (140). She wants to know if his arguments change in tone or substance when he is with his white supremacist followers. Allison also believes that by attending the conference, she will show Derek she is making a sincere effort to understand his beliefs, allowing her to earn his trust, then build a case against white nationalism.

The recent presidential election energizes the conference. Racial dog whistles dominate the Republican party’s talking points and after the election racial hate crimes surge to historic levels. Conference attendees believe the country has reached a racial tipping point that will trigger the white supremacist revolution they have been waiting for. To Allison’s surprise, Derek’s family is kind and welcoming. Their discussion topics are odd: gripes about “brown people,” Obama, Jews, and political correctness, but they are otherwise pleasant and loving people. At the conference, Allison notices, “Where she had expected to find only bigotry and nastiness, she also recognized something else” (149).