A former neo-Nazi, skinhead and member of the Aryan Nations and the ultra violent Hammerskin Nation came to the University on Wednesday to speak to students and the public about his life and spread a message of tolerance as part of Holocaust Awareness Week.
As a former violent racist, “TJ” Leyden knows what it is like within the white supremacist movement in the United States. He came to the EMU Ballroom and related his experiences to approximately 500 people; some were survivors of racist violence.
Jewish Student Union Director Ava Asher said his message was one of action.
“Every speaker has left with a message telling people not to say ‘Oh that’s awful’ and then go eat dinner,” Asher said. “They want you to do something about it.”
Leyden said tolerance and acceptance has to be tackled at an individual level. Not saying anything when an inappropriate comment is made is the same as acceptance, he said.
“The next time someone makes a racist comment and you don’t say anything, you aren’t part of the problem, you are the problem,” he said.
Leyden said he was raised with a violent father. As a young boy, he was forced to fist fight his cousin while his father and uncle placed bets on them.
“If I lost, I got beaten,” Leyden said. “If I won, I got a hug.” He said he was 15 when he started going to punk rock concerts as an acceptable outlet to get into fights and beat people. He said other kids were drawn to him and soon after he started his own racist group.
Leyden said he took part in drive-by shootings and “boot parties,” approaching people they feel should be beaten and then kicking, hitting and even stabbing them. He was in and out of jail before joining the U.S. Marines when he turned 18. While he was a Marine, he wore Nazi tattoos, including an “SS” symbol on his neck, and passed out copies of “Mein Kampf” and the “Turner Diaries” and recruited new members.
Leyden said there are currently more than 50,000 active white supremacists living in the United States and that many hold prominent positions as businesspeople, lawyers and government officials.
“Not all racists are rednecks with pickup trucks and baseball bats,” Leyden said. “Most racists aren’t.”
He said racist organizations are recruiting with tools like comic books, video games with titles like “Ethnic Cleansing and Beyond,” and calendars with pinup “Nazi Girls.” One Portland-based online store, Aryan Wear, even sells boots with swastikas as tread and onesies for babies with racist symbols on them.
Leyden said the movement has attracted more women than men during the last few years. He said this has been a recruiting tool to bring more people into the movement.
“Good Nazi women raise good Nazi children,” Leyden said.
Leyden said it wasn’t until his son was 3 years old and called a black character on a television program a racial slur that he realized he didn’t want his kids to follow the path of destruction that he was on.
“When a 3-year-old says that, all purity is lost,” Leyden said. He realized he had to make a change.
“Eventually I came to a crossroads. Either I’m in or I’m out,” he said.
Leyden said he got out of the white supremacist movement and because of his current outspoken role as a promoter of tolerance, he still receives death threats from white supremacists and carries a gun for protection. Several Department of Public Safety officers and bodyguards were at the lecture for his protection.
He has spoken on college campuses, at tolerance events, government functions and at a White House hate crimes conference at the invitation of former President Bill Clinton.
He said he is proud he has reached this point in his life, although he admits that he caused a lot of damage to others and that many of the people he recruited are now recruiters. He said he hopes others will hear his message and make changes now.
“My legacy of hate continues to this day,” Leyden said.
Sophomore Cody Covey said he was skeptical at first but said Leyden’s message gave him something to think about.
“Small things can make a difference one way or the other,” Covey said.
Junior Jonathan Vetter said he was amazed when Leyden pointed out that most people in the room laughed at stereotypical comments that were made.
“There was a hushed air of respect,” Vetter said. “It makes people realize how real it is today.”

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