How does this happen? Apparently, some teenage boys and young men are vulnerable to racist ideology. According to author and former white supremacist Christian Picciolini, white supremacists groups offer these impressionable and disconnected young people identity, community and purpose. Somehow this was not provided by family, school, community and church.
Single parent families and parents forced to work extended hours or more than one job to make ends meet, huge schools and overcrowded classrooms, increased tendencies to engage in individual activities rather than group activities and decreased church attendance, have left huge gaps in some young people’s sense of identity, community and purpose. Bullying, exclusion from some groups and social skills deficits may also be factors.
What can we do? This is a huge question that requires putting people before money and investing in family. At this time, I don’t have any specific solutions, but I know that initially it will require stating loudly that there is no place in the United States of America for racism and it needs to start at the top!
reilly m gray 