After 15 years as a neo-Nazi white supremacist activist and recruiter,
Tom "TJ" Leyden experienced a profound change of heart, turned away
from hate, and began teaching tolerance.
Leyden grew up in a closely-knit Irish-Catholic
family in Fontana, California. Life began to unravel for him when his
parents got divorced, and he began listening to punk rock and venting
his rage by slam-dancing and fighting at weekend concerts.
His violent behavior attracted the attention of local skinheads, and
soon he started his own skinhead group in Redlands, California, at the
age of 15.At 21, Leyden joined the Marines and his role as a leading recruiter,
organizer and propagandist for the white supremacist movement increased.
In all, he spent more than 15 years as a leader in the neo-Nazi movement,
even marrying a woman deeply committed to the movement and raising two
young sons in a hate-filled environment.
Today, he has turned away from the hatred
that defined his life for so long. He is the only known former
skinhead to leave the movement and retain his own name. He worked
for more than five years for the Simon Wiesenthal Center teaching on the
culture of hate and the importance in fighting back against it.
He was invited by President Clinton to be a featured speaker at the White
House Conference on Hate, and he has trained at the Pentagon, the FBI,
military bases, and for numerous law enforcement agencies.
He has spoken to more than 650,000 students
and has testified against individuals on trial for hate crimes. Although
he receives regular death threats and must take extraordinary measures
to protect himself from his former friends, Leyden is committed to being
a fierce advocate for the importance of appreciating the differences in
all people.
