Pagans, Heathens and Allies Against White Nationalism

Illustration by Open-Clipart Vectors, Pixabay.

This is a list of groups and individuals who are speaking out against the rising tide of white nationalism (WN) worldwide, especially against those who are co-opting pagan and heathen religious symbols and theology as a vehicle for their hate. It will be a work in progress. About a decade ago, I was a member for a year of the Asatru Folk Assembly (AFA) and The Troth, two heathen organizations, as I had heard about the folkish vs. universalist argument and I wanted to make up my own mind.  I saw through the thinly veiled misogyny and racism of the AFA and didn't rejoin.  I also left the Troth as my path has taken many turns.  However, I've rejoined the Troth, though I don't identify as a heathen only and belong to another organization as well.

I also, pre-2015, would have labeled myself a big-tent conservative. The GOP's support of Donald Trump changed that. I still would probably lean right of center, though the only labels I can relate to are politically homeless or independent. I've seen the infiltration of WN in politics and religion slowly creeping in. I think I've been among the many who thought, "Well, that's ridiculous. That won't be taken seriously." Clearly, we were wrong. I believe WN is the greatest threat of our time, especially having a president that denies it's a growing problem. It has ridden in on the wave of other ideologies that are deeply embedded in our culture such as Christian evangelism. We need to educate ourselves about how those who want to spread white nationalism practice cultural hijacking techniques and I've included resources for that below.

Disclaimer:  I'm not affiliated with most of those on this list except for being a member of the Troth and following some people/groups listed here on social media. I don't claim they endorse anything I've posted on this blog or elsewhere.  I'm not a representative of anyone else's political views or religious beliefs.  I offer this list as a starting point for people interested in aligning with others who support anti-bigotry views and actions. Also, this post in no way is meant to diminish the threat of extremism from other people such as violent fringes of Islam. It is meant to highlight the growing problem we have with domestic terrorism based on WN ideology.

Groups

CAORANN:  Celts Against Oppression, Racism, and Neo-Nazism. According to the website, this is a group of "Celtic Reconstructionists, Gaelic Polytheists, Native American and First Nations activists who have joined together to campaign against the misuse and abuse of Celtic symbolism and spiritualities..."

Heathens Against Hate:  An offshoot of the Heathen organization, The Troth, exists to promote inclusive heathenry and educate the public about the differentiation between their practices and extremists who hate in the name of heathenry.

Declaration 127:  Named after a passage in the Havamal, an Icelandic poetic text known as the sayings of the high one (Odin).  Havamal 127 reads, "When you see misdeeds, speak out against them, and give your enemies no frid." It was created by Huginn's Heathen Hof in response to a blatant bigoted online statement by Asatru Folk Assembly leadership. As per the website, "The AFA is free to stand for any principles they see fit. They are free to stand alone."

Individuals

Note:  There are, of course, many individuals and groups, that are against bigotry. What I'm linking to here are mainly self-described "formers," that is former extremists, mainly of the white nationalist bent as I believe they are in a unique position to help derail the current path this country seems to be headed.

Christian Picciolini:  Founder of the Free Radicals Project and author of White American Youth, an expose and biography of his own path into and out of WN.  He's featured in the MSNBC special report, Breaking Hate.  His brief Ted Talk is worthwhile in understanding his background. He's dedicated to helping others break out of the cycle of hate he was in.

Derek Black:  He is a member of the first family of American white nationalism. His father, Don Black, founded the Stormfront website, which was, I believe, the first and largest online gathering place for WNs. Derek famously renounced his past, and in his 2016 opinion piece for the New York Times, Why I Left White Nationalism, he tries to impress upon people the impact of the election of Donald Trump and how it intertwines with WN:

"Most of Mr. Trump’s supporters did not intend to attack our most vulnerable citizens. But with him in office we have a duty to protect those who are threatened by this administration and to win over those who don’t recognize the impact of their vote. Even those on the furthest extreme of the white nationalist spectrum don’t recognize themselves doing harm — I know that because it was easy for me, too, to deny it."

I have no idea what his religious beliefs are, if any, but he is an excellent resource as to the mindset behind WN, the gateways they use into mainstream culture (aka how they're radicalized) and how to combat it. The book, Rising out of Hatred: The Awakening of a Former White Nationalist, documents the deprogramming process he went through while away at college.  I've linked to his Twitter account above. I don't see a web presence; however, he has done several interviews including this one which features he and two of the people who helped him realize the toxicity of his upbringing.  I was skeptical when I first heard of his conversion to anti-bigotry, but I found him to be quite genuine in that video.

Scott K. Earnest:  I found Scott, a former, through his Twitter account. He was heavily involved in the WN movement being a prolific Stormfront contributor and a leader of Pioneer Little Europe. He increasingly couldn't square his belief in nonviolent WN activism, being heathen and polyamorous with that movement.  He's very open about his past and encourages others to leave WN at speaking engagements as well as in his articles on Medium including White nationalism doesn't have to be your final destination.

Of further interest:  Scholar Chrissy Stroop's Not Your Mission field (regarding white Christian privilege and the harm it does), What To Do When Racists Try To Hijack Your Religion, Facebook Bans White Nationalism and Separatism Content From Its Platforms, Mirroring Extremisms: The Far Right and Islamofascism, and some Twitter hashtags to find non-racist heathens and pagans are #NotMyHeathenry #Declaration127 #HeathensAgainstHate, and #PagansAgainstHate.