On September 18th, 2018 a book by the title "Rising Out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist" written by Pulitzer award-winning journalist, Eli Saslow was published, and it came to be one of the most important and influential books I have read in my lifetime.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39706735-risin...
Going into this novel, I expected a soft breaking down of one man's journey into enlightenment, instead, I got so much more. Eli Saslow writes with gripping clarity the complete paradigm shift of Derek Black. It follows his whole life story, from when he was born into a white nationalist family, grown up to create his own white nationalist radio show and frequent his father's white nationalist website Stormfront. He was dubbed the "heir of white nationalism" and all of that changed when Derek left to attend New College of Florida in Sarasota, FL.
This book taught me so much about how the racist history of the United States influences U.S. culture today. Through Saslow's journalistic point of view, reading this book put me in the mindset of those who believe white is the "superior race." I heard all of the well-matriculated arguments and the discredited racial studies that white nationalists and white supremacists use, I learned that there is a difference between being a white supremacist and a white nationalist, and I also learned that it does not take more than a simple set of beliefs to make you one or the other.
Prior to reading Rising Out of Hatred, I knew about white supremacists and America's racist foundings in general, but I was ignorant to how large the community is today and how it continues to thrive. Derek Black was on his way to being a national white supremacist figurehead and heir, but due to his kindness, open personality, and non-violent nature, he befriended a diverse group of people, something he managed to do at a school where more than 90% of the student body was white. When he was discovered, he was shunned and ostracized from the New College community and was thought to be violent and unsafe. It was his girlfriend, Allison, a psychology major who eventually fell in love with Derek and spent time with him to make him understand that his white nationalist beliefs were unfounded, that race actually does not exist at all, and that a "white genocide" is not occurring because it has been proven, over and over again, that white people hold privilege in society over other groups.
One thing that Eli Saslow makes sure to repeatedly bring up is Donald Trump. Saslow clearly connects the dots between Donald Trump and white nationalism, how Trump's beliefs align all too perfectly with white nationalists and how it can be traced all the way back to Obama's first term as president.
The book left me reeling with so much knowledge about the truths of America and extremism, it both scared me but made me realize a beam of hope. And that's how you know it was a good, influential book.
