We were so happy to host an event at Foa & Son with our friend, Arno Michaelis. Previously affiliated with the white supremacist movement, Arno has now rejected extremist philosophy – and is working with youth to counter the danger that it poses. We were able to have an intimate conversation among a few of our close friends, diving into topics such as: extremist narratives and the conditions in which hatred thrives, addressing extremism across cultures, the utter exhaustion from harboring hatred, and personal transformation.
It was enlightening for many when Arno described a personal moment of clarity. While watching his young daughter playing with children of varied backgrounds at daycare, he realized that the children did not see color. They simply wanted friends to play with. He saw parents lovingly greet their children and he recognized qualities of his relationship with his daughter in them. By being open to new experiences, shared humanity is the antidote to hatred.
To learn more about Arno’s work, visit My Life After Hate.
For high quality photographs, please contact Nicole Margaretten, Communications Manager at nmargaretten(at)tanenbaum.org