Chris Buckley (right) and his friend, a Syrian refugee (left)
“Buckley left the Georgia White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan in 2016. He says he learned hate during his troubling childhood in Cleveland, OH. He also learned to hate Muslims serving overseas in the Army for 13 years.
He turned his life around when a Syrian refugee, who is now a dear friend, showed him compassion. He also found a mentor in another reformed racist named Arno Michaels…
Buckley says the genuine compassion and acceptance from the Black and refugee communities saved him.
Four years later, Buckely says he’s using “what he knows to change the world.” He’s helping others combat hate by identifying the trauma in their lives that has created hateful views. He's working with a nonprofit called Parents for Peace.”
