The Spiritual Perspective 83: Arno Michaelis Went From Being a Racist Skinhead to Helping Others Transcend a Life of Hate
Today's story is as transformative and inspiring as any that we have had on this podcast. After an interesting and mostly healthy childhood, Arno Michaelis' teenage angst quickly turned into hatred and racism as he became involved in skinhead and white supremacist groups through his entanglement in the punk scene. This led to more and more violent and dangerous activities and for many years he walked a path of fear and anger, becoming increasingly estranged and distrustful of everything good in his life.
Our guest unpacks just how this process happened and the insidious ways that bigotry can creep into our lives when we are exposed to certain things in vulnerable states. We also get to hear about the social climate of this time during the '80s and '90s and how different groups and gangs clashed and connected.
Ultimately some pivotal moments allowed Arno to reevaluate his philosophy and prejudice. From becoming a father to a conversation with an elderly black woman at McDonald's certain forces pulled Arno away from the world of combat and aggression that he dived into as a young man.
The last part of our chat with Arno is spent looking at his life and work since distancing himself from white nationalism, and he talks about the campaigning he did for Barrack Obama, the books he has written, and the community work he continues to do with the Forgive Project. Tune in to hear it all!