“The Average American White Racist” with Christian Picciolini

On the Season 1 finale, reformed extremist Christian Picciolini [4:02] joins Ana to talk about his experience as a white supremacist, how his mind changed, and the work he does today to show people that there is life after hate. They discuss the rise and shifts in white supremacy within the United States and the way that white supremacists have softened their image by using coded language and racial dog whistles. The conversation turns to the ways in which white supremacy is like an addiction, and the possibilities of treating them both through recovery, kindness, and empathy. He also shares his own perspective on how to confront white supremacy: not with violence, but by helping people identify and fill in the holes in their lives, and showing how they can change. Later on, Ana and Christian touch on one of the most important things to keep in mind when dealing with not just white supremacy but ordinary interactions with people in everyday life: everybody is going through something we can’t see. The conversation ends with what makes Christian worried, and hopeful, about the society we now live in.

Afterward, [58:43] Ana revisits last week’s episode about Black Panther, acknowledging the ways her own whiteness makes it impossible to fully grasp Wakanda’s decision to not take back Killmonger.

Thank you to everyone that has been a part of this podcast in some way for making it a wonderful first season. We’ll be back soon.

You can find Christian’s book here: https://www.christianpicciolini.com/book

Here’s the Kevin Love piece Ana referenced in the show: https://www.theplayerstribune.com/kevin-love-everyone-is-going-through-something/

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