Former Neo-Nazi Leader: Charlottesville Was 'Pivotal Moment for America'
Christian Picciolini, founder of the group Life After Hate, poses for a photograph in his Chicago home, Jan. 9, 2017. Picciolini, a former skinhead, is an activist combating what many see as a surge in white nationalism across the United States.
Christian Picciolini has long been sounding the alarm about the threat posed by America's white violent extremists. He knows what he's talking about — he used to be one of them.
The son of Italian immigrants, Picciolini was recruited into the Chicago Area Skinheads, America's first neo-Nazi skinhead gang, in 1987. He was 14 years old.
By 16, Picciolini was thrust into the helm of the young organization after its leader was imprisoned for brutally pistol-whipping a female member who had been seen with a black man.
He led the organization for the next six years and later merged it with the Hammerskin Nation, which remains active today and which the Southern Poverty Law Center calls "the best organized, most widely dispersed and most dangerous Skinhead group known."
Continued: https://www.voanews.com/a/former-neo-nazi-leader-charlottesville-pivotal-moment-america/3999697.html
Just like I'd heard about Stonewall Jackson's descendants prior, I have heard about this fellow, Picciolini before. While this may not be earthshaking to many, such a tiny group of people were those in Charlottesville, some might find his story of interest so I do think it is important.
I've never seen these kinds of folks except once in awhile, one might see a tattoo. Now, I've seen a few of those haircuts one might wonder about.
Good story except for mentioning the SPLC; if they only tracked extreme groups, that's okay but they are going after a lot of different people.
