It’s All Good: Ex-White Supremacist Works to Serve & Unite Posted by Max Pete on 01/20/14 | Filed under Opinion, Its All Good

These days, all you see and hear on the news is about which country is on the brink of war, the economic crisis and other information that drives fear into your everyday life. I’m tired of hearing nothing but bad news, that’s why I decided to write about positive and inspiring stories that are overlooked by the mainstream media in "It's All Good". This week, in honor of MLK Day....

Arno Michaelis was once a thriving member of a Neo-Nazi movement. He participated in the movement by attending white supremacist rallies, supporting what he called a racial holy war, and was a lead singer in a hate metal band called Centurion. Michaelis says that "single parenthood, love for my daughter, and the forgiveness shown by people I once hated," changed him and guided him toward a life of tolerance, acceptance and peace.

Michaelis story was featured in a Huffington Post story on Monday, which showed inspirational stories of people overcoming differences in sexuality, hate, religion, and nationality do the right thing.

Michaelis even commented on the story personally where he said he was actually inspired by another story in the article, about Keisha Thomas, a black teenager who during the 1996 KKK rally saved the life of a white supremacist in danger of being killed by a mob of angry demonstrators.

In his comment he said, "It's such an honor to be included among these amazing examples of humanity. Each is an inspiration, but I'm especially moved by Keshia's amazing exhibit of courage. I was on the white supremacist side of an Ann Arbor rally in 1988, and the hate the protesters reflected and amplified back at us was instrumental in justifying the white supremacist dogma that I ran with for the next 7 years. Aggression is fuel to neo-Nazis. Keshia struck the most devastating blow to hate possible and I strive to follow her lead."

Keisha and Arno’s stories prove that it just takes one person with the courage to stand up for what they believe in and then others are inspired to follow. Racism is still very alive in this country, but it is great hearing about Arno’s story and how he turned his earlier years of hate into love and acceptance. What better way to live out the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr.? 

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