Healing From Hate

"Healing From Hate depicts how hate and violence destroy the lives of both the victims and perpetrators, and yet the prevailing message is one of hope, hope that people can move away from lives of hatred to find empathy with those around them. This insightful revealing documentary will be of great value to those who wish to understand the current state of our humanity, and the ability to heal from hate."

"Healing From Hate is a powerful educational tool, much needed at this moment in our nation's history. It makes visible both the urgency of the threat of domestic extremists and the hopeful and healing power of empathy to overcome the disease of hatred."

"Healing From Hate is a brilliant exploration and analysis of both the genesis of hate as a discourse and as a diverse collection of movements. It is a searing look at how bigotry, racism, and the discourse of dehumanization takes hold of individuals who are longing for some sense of meaning and community. It analyses the false promises and the terrible consequences of such movements and their toxic effects on social justice, equality and democracy, while also showing how they cripple the spirit, values, and social relations of those who turn to hate as a mode of identification. But, Healing From Hate does more. It examines in words and deeds the lives of individuals both the past and the current existence of those who have rejected their hateful pasts and are working together to both counsel others who have been crippled by hate and to bring together people who now want to work for compassion, justice, love and a democratic community. This film should be shown to every student, adult, educators, librarian and anyone else trying to understand how racism, bigotry, and xenophobia have moved from the margins to the center of power in the United States and what is being done to overcome the discourse of hate."

"Serves as a powerful reminder of the racism, anti-semitism and prejudice still deeply ingrained in American society and examines how the current administration perpetuates this divisiveness through fear-mongering. The film... is equal parts chilling and hopeful. It offers a rare glimpse into the psyche of a faction of the world many chose to look away from because the reality, shown with unflinching clarity in Healing from Hate, is far too disturbing. This documentary humanizes the people who seek redemption and paints a vivid picture of what brought them to these dark places and back again."

"Healing From Hate provides a chilling view of the ways white supremacy, capitalism, and toxic masculinity converge to recruit members and fuel racist violence in the United States. It offers a view of the shifting landscapes of white supremacist and racist movements, while also centering the narratives and work of those who have not only left these movements, but work to help others do so as well. It presents an important and much needed intervention in conversations in this contemporary moment, when white supremacy has become more mainstream and accepted through discourses of the alt-right and white nationalism."

"Healing From Hate looks into a critical but perhaps under-recognized element in combating violent hate: de-radicalizing and distancing current and former extremists from lives embroiled by bigotry and anger. The film is touching and challenges the soul: how can we find empathy for those who have wanted to, attempted to, and did commit harm against ourselves and our communities? How can we forgive, when the problem is getting worse day over day? It seems impossible, but that is precisely why it is so important. To do the impossible—to show people that there is a world free from hate and rage and violence—is to disempower those hate movements at their very core. It sends a message that there is, in fact, a world of prosperity that awaits in a world where everyone is included. We talk of building a better society, but to accomplish such a large task, we have to start at the basics. And what is more basic than finding empathy for familiar struggles? I know many of these stories—I have been a part of some of them—and yet still was moved."

"I was moved somewhere beyond words. Healing From Hate is a great film. It is a required viewing for anyone who truly wants to understand the hatred that is running rampant in America and the world."

"A hopeful expression of how hate does not need to be the end of the road."

"A super-powerful and important documentary that is needed so much right now."

"This is a must watch for anyone trying to understand white supremacist movements in the United States. The film explores how the ideology of hate becomes a way for many white men, with an unhealthy sense of identity and deep insecurities often arising from childhood , to secure a sense of 'self' based on hatred of 'others.'  Unlike many other discussions of the alt-right movement, this documentary goes beyond a shallow understanding of white supremacists as 'bad' people to explore what circumstances draw them into these ideologies. A very useful teaching resource for courses on race, white nationalism, white supremacy and white masculinity."

"A powerful and risky documentary that looks at racism in America... and how to enact change."