by Lola Garcia
Former neo-Nazi Frank Meeink delivered a talk at Grinnell last Friday. The auditorium on the third floor of ARH was full beyond capacity to hear the former skinhead from Philadelphia discuss his past life and current philosophy.
Meeink was the inspiration for the 1998 film American History X starring Edward Norton. Meeink relayed his story of growing up in working class Philadelphia, his rise to fame in the white supremacist movement, his time in prison and his eventual philosophical change. The former neo-Nazi now has a foundation co-sponsored by the Philadelphia Flyers that promotes racial tolerance through athletics.
Meeink came of age in the white supremacist movement. By seventeen he was a fugitive from the law and a movement leader. After being released from prison, he returned to his skinhead brethren but after the Oklahoma City bombing, renounced his role in the movement. Meeink now runs his foundation and delivers anti-hate messages at college campuses, conventions and symposia around the country and currently lives in Des Moines.
Kesho Scott, Sociology, brought Meeink as a guest speaker for her Social Movements class though the event was open to the entire campus. She hoped that Meeink would be an example of “courageous conversation,” as “an ex-skinhead speaking in his own language.”
Students from Scott’s class publicized the event as part of a class project. Respective groups started rumors, provided food and made signs to attract an audience. They managed to fill all the chairs, most of the aisles and the side entries of ARH 302.
“The students studied propaganda and agitation styles and used them to fill up the room,” said Scott.
Meeink was the latest in a series of speakers that Scott has brought to campus for her class this semester. Previous guests have included a female minister of a multicultural church, Tony Harding and Marilyn Lee from Alcoholics Anonymous, and Sharon Marchino, a lesbian activist lawyer from Des Moines.
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