Can a white supremacist be redeemed?
That's the question at the heart of Tony McAleer's journey. Once a leader of some of the most notorious neo-Nazi and white supremacist organizations in the world, McAleer is now one of the founders of Life After Hate, a non-profit dedicating to helping people leave extremist groups and develop new perspectives. His journey was chronicled by Peter Hutchison in the film "The Cure for Hate: Bearing Witness to Auschwitz."
Woodland Hills High School hosted McAleer and Hutchison on Thursday, Oct. 24 as part of the Woodland Hills Interaction Series. The duo met with students from Woodland Hills High School, Deer Lakes High School, and Dickson Preparatory STEAM Academy. They shared behind the scenes details from their visit to the Auschwitz and Birkenau concentration camps, as well as the emotions that came with visiting the sites of horrific atrocities committed by the Nazis.
McAleer and Hutchison also shared more about their personal experiences, the impact their childhoods have had on their paths, the battle against dehumanizing or "othering" particular groups, teaching compassion and courage, and more. Students asked questions about the film, McAleer and Hutchison's lives and perspectives, and about their respective books. McAleer is the author of "The Cure for Hate: A Former White Supremacist’s Journey from Violent Extremism to Radical Compassion." Hutchison is a New York Times bestselling author of "Requiem for the American Dream," and a documentary filmmaker.
The Woodland Hills Interaction Series session with Tony McAleer and Peter Hutchison was made possible through Film Pittsburgh.