My descent into America's neo-Nazi movement -- and how I got out

Facing Fear is an Academy Award-nominated 2013 documentary short film. Worlds collide when a former neo-Nazi skinhead and the gay victim of his hate crime attack meet by chance 25 years after the incident that dramatically shaped both of their lives. Together, they embark on a journey of forgiveness that challenges both to grapple with their beliefs and fears, eventually leading to an improbable collaboration ... and friendship. Both subjects, Timothy Zaal and Matthew Boger, are very good friends of mine. The compassion and empathy that is evident in their relationship should be a lesson to us all.

The March trilogy is a black and white graphic novel trilogy about the Civil Rights Movement, told through the perspective of civil rights leader and United States Congressman John Lewis. The series is beautifully written by Lewis and Andrew Aydin, and illustrated and lettered by Nate Powell. This should be required reading for every school-aged young person in the US. This history must be taught and embraced as the real story of our nation's struggles.

Bully is a 2012 American documentary drama film that follows the lives of five students who face bullying on a daily basis in US schools. The documentary follows students from public schools in Georgia, Iowa, Texas, Mississippi and Oklahoma during the 2009–10 school year; it also follows the students' families. The film's particular focus is on the deaths of Tyler Long, who was diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome, and Ty Smalley — both victims of bullying who committed suicide — and it describes in great detail how the average American student cannot defend himself or herself against ridicule. Marginalization drives recruitment to extremism and violence, not ideology or dogma. This film is important and poignant.

My worldview and actions are shaped by my experiences growing up marginalized and eventually becoming a leader of America's first neo-Nazi skinhead group. For those interested in how my identity, community, and purpose were hijacked and how I managed to escape the grip of hate should read my memoir. My life is literally an open book.