Carlford Wadley
Originally from St Andrew Jamaica and raised in 4 out the 5 boroughs of NYC; Carl writes for the blog http://negroporfavor.blogspot.com which examines the intersections of pop culture, race and social issues.
A Brief Chronicle of Nicky Crane
If someone was young, gay, closeted, and self-hating, doing something to throw suspicion off them being gay—like being a skinhead—might seem like a good idea. The added benefit of becoming part of a group that helps their self esteem by setting up a confrontational and superior attitude towards outsiders based on race and ethnicity, makes it an attractive proposition. In skinhead culture where violence is seen as proof of manhood, the idea of hiding gayness by beating people up or obfuscating it with this activity becomes a viable option. Targeting gay men would only help this person further disguise their own homosexuality. If the violence they doled out extended to gay people, all the better for them to maintain their closet.
Thoughts on My Life After Hate
No one expects a tattooed racist thug to also be a big Dungeons and Dragon fans, or that somebody who used to be a break-dancer and big-time Beastie Boys fan would eventually become a member of Centurion, one of the biggest racist bands of the 1990′s. Having to think about a hostile, violent menace in a very human way is not something new to anyone who is a minority. It’s a reminder that people who you struggle with are human too. This fact of humanity haunts Arno Michaels in certain encounters, such as when skinhead compatriots of his sliced up the face of a homeless black man, and eventually helps change his racist ways, like when he watched his young daughter playing with classmates of different races.
Sammy Rangel “FOURBEARS: Myths of Forgiveness”
FourBears: The Myth of Forgiveness: isn't a simple memoir; it is a graphically illustrated guide from tortured child, to remorseless beast, to healing and change. This book is about helping others find their way out of their history and into the here and now. Proof that what once held you down can now hold you up. After the book reflects on a horrific upbringing it looks to offer key and ground breaking insights of the inner workings of the mind of a victim and later a perpetrator of hate and violence. Service providers working in treatment centers and institutional settings would greatly benefit from this work. Anyone facing issues with forgiveness and change might find a process toward healing and recovery.
Recommended Reading
Frank Meeink—Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead
TJ Leyden—Skinhead Confessions
Arno Michaels—My Life After HateMusic
Wizard Fingaz & Soul Sathe embarked on a collaborative project known as Tribal Sorcery · deep conscious hip-hop
