Derek Black was the heir apparent to the White Supremacist throne, godson of David Duke, and the son of the founder of the largest hate site in the U.S. This gripping biography tells the story of his transformation, from racist wunderkind to social justice proponent. Thanks go to Net Galley and Doubleday for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

As a young person bent on following his family’s toxic legacy, Black felt that part of the secret to gaining support was in softening the language that went with it. Rather than spewing angry racist jargon around, he argued, Caucasians should instead point to their own pride in ancestry. Everybody gets to be proud of who they are and where they came from, right? So his people just happened to be proud of being from Northern Europe. And then it follows that of course they would prefer to be surrounded by others like themselves. Thus, the call for a Euro-American homeland was, he argued, a reasonable demand.

Later he would hear some of his own catch-phrases used by members of the Trump cabinet.

Derek had never known anyone that wasn’t white; his parents had seen to that. When he went to the New College of Florida, he escaped the terrarium in which he’d been homeschooled, and he came to know a more diverse set of people. This story tells us not only of his own inner struggle and evolution, but also of the painstaking manner in which his new friends cultivated him and became an undeniable part of his life. They invited him to Shabbat meals regularly, gradually breaking down his resistance. In time he came to see the contradictions between the ideology in which he had been raised, and the reality of the real human beings that were now part of his life.

I am amazed at the patience and perseverance of the young people that changed his thinking. I myself would have beat feet far away from a character like this guy, particularly given the enormous stake he had in remaining exactly who he’d been raised to be. Befriend this person? Why would anyone? But they did it, and they met with success.

Black was inclined to withdraw from public life, to fade into the general population as quickly as possible, but his girlfriend persuaded him that since he had made a difference in the wrong way, he owed it to the world to counter that with a more public repudiation.

Saslow is a Pulitzer winner, and his writing is tight and urgent. I didn’t put this story down often once I had begun it. At the same time, Black’s story is told so intimately that it feels a little strange to suddenly realize that Saslow is in it, and we don’t get much information as to how he got there. I would have liked to see a more natural segue from his development, to his conversations with his biographer. It felt a bit abrupt to me.

This, however, is a small concern. The book is fascinating, and you should get it and read it.

This was an eye-opener. It brings readers into the mind and life of a former white nationalist and his life after leaving. I was apprehensive and honestly scared going into this due to the subject of white nationalism, but also curious to see how a member would leave such a group. I'm amazed that Derek, who grew up and was raised by the most alt-right figures, opened his eyes and left the toxic group. Good for him.

Written by Thelonia


Derek Black was raised to be the great white leader of the growing White Supremacist movement in America. Unfortunately for the movement, through exposure and the unflagging efforts of others, Derek eventually dissociated himself with White Supremacy, turning his back on everything he'd ever known. Rising Out of Hatred covers the entirety of that journey from Derek and those who reached out to him's perspectives, creating a multifaceted and moving portrait on compassion, hatred, and how to make actual change in people whose beliefs are supremely opposite to yours.



Derek is the son of Don Black, renowned White Supremacist and of founder of the website Stormfront (link goes to the SPLC website, not the Stormfront website, because I love you all and would not do that to you). He was raised not only as a core member and heir apparent to the movement, but also as a uniquely powerful voice to both advertise and convert other youths to the White Nationalist/Supremacist cause.



Rising Out of Hatred tells Derek's story as he goes to a mostly liberal college and for the first time in his life surrounds himself with those he's been preaching against his entire life. Many of these people, particularly those who were in direct contact with him, are interviewed and it is very interesting to hear their point of view and how they almost (but not quite) all managed to not give up faith in Derek even when it seemed like his opinions would never be able to be changed.



The writer, Eli Saslow, does a good job of explaining Derek's arguments both for those who are completely unfamiliar and all-too familiar with the particular rhetoric devices used in arguments with White Supremacists. Still, much of this book is frustrating if only because you know the ending (it's part of the title after all - he's going to forsake his White Nationalist beliefs). But every time you get close to thinking it's about to happen, there's a "small step forward, still a White Nationalist" reminder. But this is a simple way to show the patient of everyone who pushed him in the right direction (to be fair, many of them do eventually run out of patience and stop trying). It is the aggregate efforts of everyone Derek came in contact with that made him change his beliefs for the better.







Frustrating at times, and at others seemingly endless (at least when you start getting , Rising Out of Hatred is an extraordinary look at how communities and particularly diverse ones can work to erase widespread lies and confusion spread in insular white communities. My one quibble is I'm not sure how this would read to a person of color, it might be entirely exhausting if you've been doing the work of trying to educate other people to read about someone who doesn't want to learn, but I'd definitely recommend to those who seek out information on the 'other side,' as well as those who have already dipped a toe into groups and communities like those Derek distanced himself from.



Rising Out of Hatred is an encouraging and hopeful read that can feel a bit emotionally draining depending on how much you've been exposed to the arguments and rationale of White Nationalists. I would definitely recommend that those who've not been exposed to that kind of talk, to catch up on the arguments of the 'other side' and learn just how entrenched some of these beliefs can be, even when exposed to logic and emotion.





Rising Out of Hatred is available everywhere books are sold.

I had this advanced reader copy for 2 months before I finally felt ready to read it. I was worried what I would find. Then the book was published and I picked up a copy from my local library thinking it would be easier to read in physical copy than on the computer screen. With that, however, I was afraid to have the book where anyone might see it. I didn’t want people to glimpse only the words “white nationalist” on the cover and jump to conclusions.

All that to say, I have read a number of books about race written by people of color. They aren’t always easy to read, but I dive in eager to learn from their words and experiences. Rising Out of Hatred is the flip side of the equation. It begins with the perpetrator side of the story. Somehow it seems so much easier to read the victim side. When you read the victim side, you can sympathize, you can be shocked. What do you do when you read the perpetrator side? How do you feel?

This is what kept me from picking up the book for so long, even though I wanted to learn from this story.

If I hadn’t already been anxious, the table of contents gave another clue of the tension to come, with chapters titled, “This is Scary,” “So Much Worse than I Ever Thought,” and “All-Out Mayhem.” Still, I am trying to educate myself on racial and social justice, which means I need to understand many stories. Finally, after a deep centering breath, I started reading.

Eli Saslow is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. In this book, he writes about the transformation of Derek Black, heir of the white nationalist movement who ultimately became an advocate for racial and social justice.

Derek was homeschooled and during that time he already began to insert himself on the white nationalist movement. He created a kids version of the Stormfront website — a website for white nationalists — and later joined his father on a daily radio show of the same kind. He continued to call in to the radio show daily while attending the liberal New College in Florida. It is there that he befriended a Mexican immigrant, a convert to Kaballah Judaism, and then fell for a Jewish woman. Through the relationships formed there, he slowly begins to unravel his beliefs. Ultimately, he publicly renounces white nationalism, which has familial repercussions.

Saslow approaches this material with a thorough journalistic eye. He relays the events that happened based on interviews he conducted with many of the people mentioned in the book, as well as studying correspondence that was shared with him.

The book is engaging, and I found myself flying through much quicker than I expected to. The complete 180-degree flip in beliefs is fascinating to follow. Many of the students at New College wanted to ostracize Derek when they learned of his affiliation. A few students had already built friendships with him and decided that what they had seen from him didn’t seem to match his white nationalist propaganda. If those were truly his beliefs, why would he join them for Shabbat dinner on Friday nights? Why would he continue to speak with them? The result of continuing to pursue the friendships was that Derek began to question what he had always believed. He began to research other ideas, explore other countries, and through debate with a young woman named Allison transformed his own belief system.

I highly recommend this book. Don’t be afraid to read it like I was.

Disclaimer: I received an advance-read copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I can't stop talking about this book and recommending it to everyone book reader I know especially those who, like me have a difficult time wrapping our minds around racism, white supremacy and in general hatred towards someone because they are "different" from us.

This book is about Derek Black, the son of Don Black ( of the white nationalists). Derek Black was raised in the white nationalist movement. He became the face of it. He was raised to become the future of it and coined the phrase "white genocide".

Derek is incredibly intelligent, well mannered and when he leaves home to attend a liberal college, he easily blends in and seems like everyone else until -- it is revealed who he really is. Many students are outraged but others seek him out, those who he befriended before and over time dialogue flows between them and Derek. Derek slowly begins to see them in a different light.

Derek starts to have in depth conversations with a friend (who becomes more) and pull away from Stormfront. He eventually publicly denounces the white nationalist movement, changing the course of his life.

This is by far the most important book I have read this years and I encourage you do read it. Get insight into the hatred and discover what a strong character Derek Black has.

* I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a
honest review.

The first time I heard of Derek Black was on an episode of the podcast The Daily. I found his story fascinating even then, and when I had a chance to read this book, I was excited to learn more. Rising Out of Hatred tells Derek's story, but also that of his family and though I will never truly understand let alone condone the "movement" of white supremacy, I found it disturbingly intriguing to see their reasoning for such hateful ideology. It's incredible that Derek - through his experiences and influences in college - was able to understand that this was wrong and that he had to change his thinking and his actions. The fact that he did and that he is willing to be open about his experience gives me hope that people can change. I don't want to talk specifics about current politics in the US, but we all know how divisive the environment has become. We need to keep the hope alive that we can recover from this time of so much outward hatred and partisan division, and be open and willing to learn about the experiences and thoughts of others in the way Derek Black did. It's important to be willing not to dismiss those who think differently from us as ignorant idiots, but to try to understand why they think the way they do and how to approach that. I am not saying I am the paragon of this behavior by any means. I am angry, too, and disappointed with the mood of the time, but I want to be better than that, and I want us all to be better than that. I feel I am veering away from the book now, and maybe that's fine, because it provoked thoughts in me that go well beyond Derek's story and wrap around the problems of the world and society of today and of the past.

Thanks to Netgalley for supplying me with a copy of Rising Out of Hatred in exchange for an honest review.

A compelling, hard to put down narrative of the life and transformation of Derek Black, scion of the white nationalist movement.

The author has put to good use a lot of primary sources and information from interviews to set forth the story of Derek's life: his origins, the backstory of his father and his exploits, his development and advancement in white nationalism and his work with his father on the Stormfront website, and then his experiences at the New School in Sarasota, Florida, and how the combination of hospitality from some practicing Jewish students and a strong relationship with a girl who was committed to helping him get away from the white nationalist movement, and the otherwise general isolation he experienced because of his belief system, forced him to reconsider his assumptions, looked at what the data really said, and saw how his viewpoint caused great damage to other people, and thus his exit from the white nationalist movement, and the effects it had on his relationship with his family. Meanwhile, the author does well at showing how the kind of argumentation which Derek pioneered ended up becoming a major force among some in the "Tea Party," then the Trump campaign and administration, and the growth of the alt-right.

The author has done extremely well at telling the story and portraying the Black family for what it is and what it believes about as fairly as can be done, and it helps the reader to better understand the deep-seated fears and prejudices of the white nationalist movement.

To think this whole thing is the brainchild of three people, essentially, and has become such a force in modern day politics is a bit distressing. Perhaps some will be moved by experience, reason, and evidence like Derek was; but the shunning and other forms of protest also plays a part, even if the impulse toward these things are not always noble, and often in excess.

Highly recommended reading.

Important look at a young man's journey from a life as a white supremacist. He grew up in a family of racists but with the help and understanding of friends, he changes his outlook. An important book for our times

I loved this book!
Rising Out of Hatred tells the story of Derek Black the golden boy of the WHite NAtionalism movement. When Derek goes to college and meets other people, he starts to understand why his ideas are not true. You see his struggle as he tries to put together new ideas while trying to understand his old ideas. This is his journey to love and the huge fallout it had in his family life.
I respect Derek. He would have debates with others. I also have a lot of respect for those at the college who befriended him and treated him with respect. By showing him love and mercy, he was able to see how his ideology was incorrect. It truly proves that violence isn't the answer.
This may seem weird but I enjoyed learning about White Nationalism. I did not understand them before this book. Their beliefs are outlined in this book as well as the reason while they believe them. This helps me understand them. I don't sympathize with them or believe their thoughts but I now know understand how to approach them with clarity and truth.
personally, I love reading books about change. It gives me faith in humanity and hope for our future.

I received an advanced reviewer copy of Rising Out of Hatred from the Publisher (Doubleday Books) through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What It’s About: This book is the story of Derek Black, the heir apparent to the White Nationalist Movement, until he changed his mind. Derek is the son of Don Black, founder of Stormfront, and godson of David Duke, and was born into what is essentially White Nationalism royalty. He was taken out of school at a young age and became deeply entrenched in White Nationalism culture from a young age, making a childrens white nationalist page and eventually running for local office and hosting his own radio show and conferences. Throughout the book, we knew Derek's fate, he would leave White Nationalism behind, this was the story of his process of questioning his beliefs and eventually denying them.

What I loved: This book is extremely well written, it feels like your reading a novel when you are in fact reading a true story. The author provides context to everything in the book and you really get an eye-opening look into the White Nationalist mindset. It puts a lot of things in context to what is happening now. I

What I didn’t like so much: The author talks to everyone and at sometimes it can feel sympathetic to White Nationalism, we get direct quotes from David Duke and Don Black and some of this is hard and disturbing to read. However, as the book is trying its best to show exactly what Derek believed and ultimately rejected, this more helps the reader understand.

Who Should Read It: I think this is a must-read in a time when white nationalism is on the rise. This book helps us understand ultimately how we can help others reject hate and I think its an important book for everyone.

General Summary: Rising out of Hate is the book we need right now. Derek Black describes the harrowing journey out of hate and his experience is one to keep in mind and learn from.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for my free ARC in exchange for my honest review. This was an excellent book! As the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, the notion that a large group of people can turn against another group is one that has always intrigued me. How do these people come into power, and how can they influence so many others to adopt their beliefs? I was very interested in reading about the transformation Derek Black made from being a leader in the white nationalist movement to making a complete turnaround and disavowing everything he was raised to believe. If you're interested in this subject I think you will find this a compelling read.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Not knowing much of anything about Derek Black's transformation, this was a real page turner. Although the title gives away the ultimate ending, it was so powerful to see this story unfold. Hearing the different viewpoints of how to interact with a white nationalist will help me in my own life if I am ever in a position to help change someone's mind. I would hope to someday be brave enough to become someone like Allison.

The below 4-star review was posted to Hillbilly Highways, Amazon, and Goodreads on 9/19/18:

The first step to writing this sort of nonfiction book is to have a good underlying story. Saslow has a great one. How does the scion of a leading white supremacist family and the heir apparent to the movement go from that to rejecting white supremacism in the space of just a few years?

Derek Black is the son of Don Black. As a teenager, Don (former KKK Grand Wizard and the founder of Stormfront) carpooled to a white supremacist conference with David Duke (former KKK Grand Wizard and elected member of the state legislature in Louisiana) and Joseph Paul Franklin (serial killer and maimer of Larry Flynt). He was shot in the torso in high school by the brother of James Earl Ray (Martin Luther King’s assassin) while attempting to the steal the membership list of a rival white supremacist organization. Don would later go on to marry Duke’s ex-wife and sire Derek, who Duke would treat like a godson. Small world.

Derek created a children’s page at Stormfront, had his own radio show in high school, and was speaking at white supremacist conferences as a teen. At 19 he was elected to the Palm Beach County, Florida, Republican committee (they refused to seat him). He pioneered putting a softer face on white supremacism and the use of rhetorical devices like “white genocide.” He was also bright and intellectual curious, which, after a stint in community college, led the homeschooled young adult to New College of Florida.

Not the first choice of a white supremacist, you would think. New College comes off like a caricature of the “woke” liberal arts university, complete with an email forum where “microaggressions were never tolerated, and trigger warnings were used to protect peers from potentially upsetting content.”

Derek would call into his radio show in the mornings, and then sing Willie Nelson songs with an Orthodox Jewish classmate.

The pressure of the dual life pressed on Derek. He attempted to out himself by leaving a two page spread opened on a campus gym magazine rack. It didn’t take. But a fellow student put two and two together a couple months later and outed him over the email forum (he was studying in Germany for the semester). Remarkably, Derek returned to New College. And then something even more remarkable happened.

I mean, yes, the expected happened. Lots of sturm und drang on the email forum. A local Antifa showing up to lecture everyone on the evils of talking to this guy. Lots of calls for violence, but no actual violence. They did manage to vandalize a PT Cruiser that didn’t belong to Derek.

What was remarkable and heartening was to see students standing up for free speech. It was heartening to see the administration refuse to expel Derek without a basis for doing so (even if their hand was mainly stayed by fear of a successful lawsuit, public spectacle, or both). It was heartening to see the debate play out publicly over a campus listserve without the administration shutting it down.

And then something really remarkable happened. Derek’s old duet partner for Willie Nelson tunes, Matthew, started inviting him over for his weekly Shabbat dinner. Derek politely attended, but the dinners met with no initial success. Matthew was undeterred. It was the right thing to do regardless: “The basic principle is that it’s our job to push the rock, not necessarily to move the rock.”

But respect and compassion would succeed where hate was doomed to fail. Humility and perseverance would accomplish what ostracism could not. The human brain has an astonishing ability to filter arguments that cut against our priors. Changing our minds often has more to do with love than reason. The Shabbat dinners changed Derek’s views on Jews but not much else. In the end, he clung to views he now described as white nationalist because it was part of his identity and because those views were deeply held by the family he loved dearly.

And then Rising Out of Hatred blossoms unexpectedly into a love story. Matthew’s roommate Allison’s initial reaction to Derek appearing at Shabbat dinner was to lock herself in her room. Eventually, though, Derek and Allison developed a friendship, and then a romance.

We know how the story ends, but Saslow keeps up the narrative tension, and without resorting to cheap tricks. We know that Allison attending a white supremacist conference isn’t going to end in her conversion. But the tension remains nonetheless, in part because Saslow does a good job conveying her deep discomfort attending and interacting with Derek’s family. It is Allison who ultimately is able to push Derek on his beliefs. The story almost ends with Derek renouncing his beliefs, changing his name, and moving to the Midwest for graduate school.

But can a prominent white supremacist just walk away? There are a million problems in this world. It is our prerogative as individuals to choose which of those problems we focus on and, necessarily, which of those we do not focus on. Derek’s actions, though, created an ethical obligation to work to counter the harm he had done. An obligation he ultimately accepts after watching the rise of Donald Trump and the rise of the ALT-Right.

Rising Out of Hatred sputters to an unsatisfying conclusion, but that is kind of the point. Derek Black is no longer a white supremacist, but that is a battle, not the war. Having one person reject white supremacy feels like where we should be starting, not finishing. And, as the Saslow makes clear, there are plenty of other boy wonders waiting in the wings to lead the white supremacist movement into the future. What will it profit us if white supremacy loses a Derek Black, yet gains a Richard Spencer?

All in all, though, Rising Out of Hatred is a remarkable story, well told. It serves as a valuable reminder that racism, a collectivist scourge, is beaten first and foremost by individuals directly interacting with other individuals. It is a reminder that love wins and, yes, the arc of the moral universe does bend toward justice. It is motivation to keep pushing the rock, even if we don’t think we are moving the rock.

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of Rising Out of Hatred via NetGalley.

This book should be a must read for all high schoolers! As a women of color, I have always been awed by the logic of white supremacists.

This book follows the life of a reformed white supremacists, Don Black. I laughed at how the author described Don as hard to find!?! So as to persuade him to tell his story, which we all can understand (not the most popular guy?, right?) In order for him to function with his new found "freedom" of mind, he had to cut ties with everyone he knew. In all honesty that is where I sympathize but I will NEVER condone the ABSOLUTE absurdity of white supremacists!

I feel that this novel should be read by high schoolers to show them that education and exposure to other cultures benefits their growth and experience as a human! For example, Don was pulled out of public school, at an early age and homeschooled. By parents that lacked education about the real contribution of other cultures. It would be easy to label his parents racists, which they clearly are. But how their fear dictated and destroyed their lives!

I rated this book a 5/5 , for its ability to make the reader become more self-aware of how actuons based out of fear destroy. And how learning to embrace a new way of thinking & doing leads to freedom!

Thank you to Netgalley and Eli Saslow for the ARC of Rising Out of Hatred.

I received an electronic copy of Eli Saslow’s RISING out of Hatred fro NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I remember hearing about Derek Black but did not remember his story. How does the son of the white nationalist leader of Stormfront and the God son of David Duke change his views about the ideology in which he was raised. This book explores how Derek went from being a leader at the age of 19 with an online radio program. After being home schooled, Derek attended college in Florida. Through conversation with other students, rather than being shunned, the reader learns how Derek changed his beliefs. Kudos to Eli Saslow for this well-written book.

With the 2016 presidential election and unexpected win of Donald Trump, information and news of White Nationalism reached an increased level of public awareness. In his candid new book “Rising Out Of Hatred: The Awakening Of A Former White Nationalist” Pulitzer Prize winning author Eli Saslow diligently and fearlessly explores how Derek R. Black was raised in a culture of intolerance, racism, and hate by his father-- a former grand wizard of the KKK, and the notorious national spokesman and Klansman leader David Duke. Only the persistant and dedicated efforts of his ethnic and minority friends prompted Derek to examine, question and ultimately denounce the values and beliefs of which he was raised associated with White Supremacy.

When Derek arrived at the New College of Florida (2010), the highest rated transformative liberal arts college in the state it was easy for him to blend in. He enjoyed his friendships with minority students and the companionship of his Jewish girlfriend, Rose. Behind his college scene, Derek continued to be the facilitator moderator of his father’s White Nationalist website Stormfront with over 300,000 subscribers. Derek learned the necessity of keeping his true identity underground-- the movement was affiliated with the unpopular radicalism of the Neo Nazi’s. At large meetings and conventions Nationalist members, speakers and leaders congregated in secrecy under aliases and assumed names to protect themselves against attacks and potential violence.
In his senior year at New College, Tom McCay was working on his senior project on domestic extremism. McCay’s 150 page thesis focused on the explosive growth of the radical right, the conspiracy centered “Patriot movement” and over 1,000 domestic hate groups in the US, his basic research included the monitoring of Stormfront. Through McCay’s research, Derek was outed on campus. The outrage against him was severe. On the school forum Derek received a deluge of hate mail, was openly heckled and shunned. Rose wondered if Derek was using her for cover, and refused to see him again.
A few of his friends continued to have Derek in their lives, reasoning that he couldn’t learn that his beliefs were wrong if he were ostracized. Matthew Stevenson and Moshe Ash continued to welcome Derek at Shabbat dinners. Derek was attracted to Allison, and although Allison found his Stormfront ideology and posts disturbing and offensive, there was something about him she liked and trusted. Derek moved from the campus into a rental unit, his landlord was wary of Derek’s reputation, but liked Derek so much he eventually allowed him to stay in his rental for free.

Don had raised his only son to take his place on Stormfront and become a great White Supremacist leader. When this didn’t happen, some of Derek’s family members disowned him after he publically renounced White Nationalism. Derek received threats from a few radical members of the movement, and changed his name before he moving to Michigan to pursue graduate studies, and later he would attend the University of Chicago to earn a PhD. Don, heartbroken and in poor health, spent hours with Saslow in recorded interviews for this outstanding and exceptionally researched book. It was educational to learn more about White Nationalism from an administrative and leadership viewpoint, and Derek’s remarkable conversion from hate to a genuine love for his fellow man regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or religion. **With thanks and appreciation to Doubleday via NetGalley for the DDC for the purpose of review.

If its possible for the scion of a dynasty of white supremacists to renounce his ideology, denounce his own family, and become a nationally recognized advocate for civil rights its possible for you to have a five minute conversation at Thanksgiving this year with your dipshit uncle about why exactly he hates "brown people" so much.

Out of everything I took away from this very, very important book I think that's the most important point.

We have to start talking to each other.

At the end of the day that is how Derek Black changed. This incredibly brave and brilliant young man stepped away from a lifetime of ignorance and hate because people talked to him and he listened. Because people who had no obligation to took the time to reach out to him in the spirit of forgiveness and understanding and turned their own (justifiable) rage at his actions and extensive history as a white supremacy leader into positive action Derek became a different person.

The story of his journey out of a life spent promoting hatred and division between races and rallying people to the cause of preventing "the white genocide" isn't the easiest one to read but I could not put it down and I really, really want you to read it to.

Derek Black is the son of Don Black, the creator of "Stormfront" one of the internet's first (and most popular) hate sites. Purporting to be a haven for white's who fear the "destruction of white culture" it boasts a frighteningly huge membership and has provided support and encouragement for serial killers and domestic terrorists alike. Some of Derek's more "impressive" contributions to his father's cause include building a Stormfront site for kids (which is still online), hosting a wildly popular daily radio show with his dad where they discussed everything from the plague of Jews running the world to the bunk science "proof" that white's are in fact the master race, and starting his own yearly "white nationalist" conference. He even successfully ran for public office before the truth about his beliefs became public knowledge. All before he'd graduated from high school.

When Derek left his parents home in West Palm Beach Florida for New College in Sarasota at the age of 19 it was with the idea that he would be infiltrating enemy headquarters. He'd learn how to speak the language of the mainly liberal, left leaning student body and better arm himself for the war he planned to spend his life fighting to save white culture. He didn't plan to reveal his identity. He'd keep his head down, get his education, and go back to his mission. But as a mainly home schooled student with few friends his own age he wasn't prepared for the relationships he would form in that first year and how important they would be to him. How they would begin to change the way he saw the world. He was even less prepared for the fallout when he was outed on the college message board and how much it would hurt him.

In the chaos that followed, amid the screaming for his head or at the very least his expulsion, a few quieter voices spoke up and suggested an alternative to ostracization or outright physical assault. One of those people was Matthew Stevenson who'd gotten into the habit of hosting a weekly Shabbatt dinner in his dorm for anyone who wanted to join. When he extended an invitation to Derek and Derek accepted he took the first step toward shedding a lifetime of hatred. It wasn't easy. It didn't happen over night and the cost is something Derek carries with him every day. But it happened.

This book made me think and it made me hopeful. Because if Derek can change and turn his astounding intellect and heart toward fighting for the very things he spent his whole life railing against, if he could turn against a beloved family and an audience of thousands who hung on his every word and trade it all in for death threats and disownment then it absolutely is possible for this country to turn back from the path it is on.

Please read this book. It doesn't matter who you are or who you voted for or what you believe in. This book is vital to understanding that anyone can change when we take the time to talk to each other and really listen to the answers to the questions we ask.

We have to take our rage and our righteous indignation and do something with it. Its not enough anymore to just get angry and use the right hashtags and speak truth through bumper stickers and flags. We have to start engaging with the people we want to change. If we really want things to be different then we need to stop preaching to the converted. We need to stop preaching period. We need to talk and we need to listen. We don't have to be defined by our ideologies, not if we don't want to be.

Derek proves that it doesn't matter how you were raised or what you believe in the very fiber of your being is true. It isn't easy, it doesn't feel good or even seem like its worth it some of the time. It hurts and people will scream in your face that you're an idiot and that you're wasting your time, and you will feel like you might feel like you're failing right up until the very end but it is possible to bridge the deepest, widest divide and lead someone out of the darkest, most vile way of seeing the world.

Derek proves that.

A must-read for everyone. No matter where you stand or what you believe, one of the takeaways from this book is that change can only come when there are civil conversations and thoughtful people who are willing to argue and exchange points of view in respectful ways.

4.5 STARS

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Doubleday through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Elia Saslow (and R. Derek Black), Doubleday, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book was so interesting, horrifying, and educational all at ONCE. The most intriguing part was that it is a true story.

Eli Saslow made this book so interesting by getting into the mind, psyche, and persona of R. Derek Black). Derek's story was amazing in its terrifying nature and Eli's storytelling and writing were beautiful!

This would be a great read for high school students, book clubs, and for anyone who wants to read a good book!

Highly recommend.

This was not an easy read, but it was so very important. Racism is disgusting, and because we cannot fathom how it still exists today, when we encounter people who are racists, oftentimes we react in the same way that the other side does without realizing it. Meaning, we are hateful and judgmental, we attack, call them racists, and other hurtful things. Therefore, we have done to them the exact thing that they have done to others, justifying their beliefs, and no progress is made. This book shows what happens when instead we choose to have a conversation. With someone that does not agree with our beliefs. With someone that breeds hate. Progress is in fact made.

Derek Black was born the son of a prominent white nationalist, and quickly followed in his father's footsteps. His father, Don Black, was close friends with David Duke, a KKK leader, and he was also Derek's godfather. Derek was closely aligned with both of their beliefs and seen as a rising star in the movement. Derek had his own radio show, and kept it going while he started college at New College of Florida. Not knowing what to expect, he kept quiet about who he was and became friends with several people that he probably shouldn't given his beliefs - a hispanic, a jew, and he even dated a white girl that he quickly learned was Jewish. Once he was outed by another student, he did not react with anger, but laid low and his friends began having conversations with him about why he thought the way he did. One even invited him to Shabbat every week so that he could see what it was like, and they quickly became close friends. Derek also became very close friends with a girl named Allison, and over time, through many conversations, she was able to show him how his ideology was wrong. He finally renounced his beliefs, costing him his family but earning the support of many others.

I could go on and on here but I think the book is absolutely worth reading, and Derek's transformation certainly did not happen overnight. but I think it is key to point out how effective it was to have conversations, backed with facts, and after a while the most devout white nationalist was able to see that this way of thinking is hurtful, ignorant, and incorrect. And that alone is encouraging and hopeful.

Thanks to NetGalley for an electronic ARC to review, all opinions are my own. Pub date is 9/18/18.