Christian Picciolini found himself stumbling through high school, struggling to find a community among other fans of punk rock music. There, he was recruited by a notorious white power sk*nhead leader and encouraged to fight with the movement to "protect the white race from extinction." Soon, he had become an expert in rac*st philosophies, a terror who roamed the neighborhood, quick to throw fists. When his mentor was sent to prison, sixteen-year-old Picciolini took over the man's role as the leader of an infamous neo-Naz* sk*nhead group.

Seduced by the power, he accrued through intimidation, and swept up in the rhetoric he had adopted, Christian worked to grow an army of extrem*sts. He used music as a recruitment tool, launching his own propag*nda band that performed at white power rallies around the world. But slowly, as he started a family of his own and a job that for the first time brought him face to face with people from all walks of life, he began to recognize the cracks in his hat*ful ideology. Then a shocking loss at the hands of rac*al viol*nce changed his life forever, and Picciolini realized too late the full extent of the h*rm he'd caused.

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Check out Christian’s books:

christianpicciolini.com

“White American Youth": whiteamericanyouth.com

"Breaking H*te”: breakinghate.com

Find Christian on social media:

IG: @cpicciolini 

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**Disclaimer: Thanks for joining us at Cults to Consciousness. This storytelling podcast is meant to be for entertainment purposes only and does not substitute for medical advice. We may discuss triggering topics and we ask that you make your personal mental health a priority. Lastly, the opinions of our guests do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the host.**

Chapter Marks

00:00:00 Intro

00:05:33 How Christian was vulnerable to recruitment and thus got involved

00:12:12 American History X and its parallels to Christian’s experience

00:13:41 The moment that Christian realized v*olence equaled power

00:17:30 How Christian went from going along with the ideologies to really believing them

00:19:39 What the goal of the movement was

00:22:50 Christian's double life participating in the movement while also playing football

00:26:12 Christian's experience with a black body guard in high school

00:33:13 The facade begins to fade after Christian's recruiter goes to prison

00:36:32 How their h*te for others was rooted in their h*te for themselves

00:38:40 Why and how women join these groups

00:41:55 How these groups self contain their ideas and how it warps member's perception of reality

00:45:35 Christian's marriage and its fallout gave him the freedom to leave the movement

00:51:48 Christian non-linear path to healing and how meeting someone from his past changed his future

01:00:11 The importance of accountability in healing

01:02:27 Where Christian is today and what brings him joy

01:05:15 What Christian's relationship is like with his sons and how they feel about his past

01:12:11 Linda, listen

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