Christian Picciolini
I grew up on the South side of Chicago in a neighborhood called Blue Island. After beginning a career in the corporate world and earning a Bachelor's Degree in International Business / International Relations from DePaul University, I once again began photographing, writing and painting. I currently own GOLDMILL, an artist development and management firm, and Sinister Muse, an independent music label, and am co-owner, General Manager and Executive Producer for iconic music television program, JBTV. In 2010, I was nominated for a Chicago/Midwest Professional Emmy® Award for my work on Flatfoot 56’s ‘Courage’ music video. In 2009, I co-founded Life After Hate, a non-profit organization and online magazine dedicated to spreading basic human goodness. That same year I began my autobiographical writing journey and penned my memoir Romantic Violence: Memoirs of an American Skinhead. The book, available in 2012, explores how a good kid from a loving family could be drawn into a world of hate and violence and the toll that hatred has on my family. It shows the desperate struggle of a child looking for a place to belong, and to forge an identity while straddling two different cultures. I love sushi, soccer, and strategy. I’m married and live in the Chicago area with my amazing wife and two awesome children.
Paint Your Own Oceans
Wow, here we are. Issue 18. I’m truly amazed at how far we’ve come in such a very short time. Against all odds and, for many of us, completely against a course that we once believed we were destined to tread many years ago. Here we are. In November of 2009, my old friend and [...]
Let the Song You Sing Be One That Embraces, Not Disgraces, Humanity
The April 2008 issue of Alternative Press magazine, which hit the streets on March 7, 2008 featured an Op/Ed piece written by me. After many years of leaving behind a life I no longer associate with, I felt it was necessary to make it known to all what my past entailed, how it affected me, and how proud I am of the man I am today.
The United Nations, the MDGs, and Me
On September 8, 9, and 10, 2004 I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the 57th Annual DPI/NGO conference at the United Nations in New York City. The theme of the conference was based upon the mantra, Millennium Development Goals: Civil Society Takes Action. Initially, the thought of being a part of the conference was intimidating; however, once the initial nervousness subsided I was certainly glad that I was a part of this unforgettable conference. The following account aptly describes what I felt as I approached the goliath known as the United Nations, on the morning of September 8th, 2004.
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
