For my Text Review Assignment, I read Eli Saslow’s Rising Out of Hatred, Derek Black goes from white nationalist son of former KKK Grand Wizard and the creator of Stormfront, Don Black, one of the largest white nationalist websites in America, to an antiracist political figure who defies his family and history to stand up for what he believes in. Simple enough, his transition from Neo-Nazi to who he is know came from something as small as Friday night Shabbat dinner. The book chronicles Derek’s college adventures and touches on the dinners he attended with his Jewish counterparts in college only shortly, but to me this had an immense impact. Derek allowed people he disagreed with to see him, and more importantly, he allowed them to change him. These dinners represented so much more than just eating or a friday night college hangout. Shabbat dinner was a communal gathering where Derek was not held to a better standard for being a white man, something Derek had grown up with, and preached most of his life. It seems ironic that of all people that began Derek’s journey it happened to be from a culture he was taught to be against. This kindness offered through Shabbat dinner was something so minimal yet became something powerful enough to change the entire narrative of one man and dismantle his hateful views on different cultures and people. This book focuses on how the father of Derek is initially the “one”, and Derek is the “other” to vise versa. Derek defies the “one” and does not be what he is expected to be. Rising Out of Hatred focuses on a question asking if it is justifiable that platforms like Stormfront exist where uncensored extremist ideas and opinions foster hatred and potential violence? This book inspires those in similar situations to do what they believe is right, regardless of what is occurring around them.
