After a decade as leader of America’s deadliest neo-nazi gang Chicago Area Skinheads (CASH), Christian Picciolini found peace. Today, he’s 20 years into running Life After Hate (LAH) – a non-profit dedicated to shining a light on basic human goodness.
Isolated and lonely, Christian fell in with CASH early in life. They gave him the attention he craved and the family he missed. Their ideology crept in later. And that’s important. He wasn’t seeking hate, he joined to feel love.
“Hate is born of ignorance. Fear is its father, and isolation its mother.”
That’s why Life After Hate’s mission is two-fold. First, give young folks both love and a purpose to make them less susceptible to nefarious recruiters promising power, respect, and love. Second, give current members the support and tools to leave their gang – a potentially deadly decision.
Christian started LAH after he opened a record store. When non-white customers came in looking for punk and metal records he fell into talking with them about their mutual love for the music. That’s when something powerful happened.
“I began to develop empathy for them – and also received it at a time when I least deserved it, from those I least deserved it from. Once I began to connect with others that I once hated, I could no longer justify that hate.”
So what do you say, America? Let’s reach out and love somebody. Cause Christian and Life After Hate are proof that a little love and connection trumps a world of hate. Every. Single. Time.
Related: Read our story about Prison Bars, a granola bar company run by former inmates.
