Today on The Change Maker: Tony McAleer. Tony is author of the book “The Cure for Hate: A Former White Supremacist’s Journey from Violent Extremism to Radical Compassion” and founder of the organization Life After Hate. We talk all about his journey from the radical far right to helping others overcome hate, how he was drawn into the movement, and how fatherhood led him into the work he is doing today.
You can learn more about Tony’s organization and learn more about his projects at: https://www.thecureforhate.ca/
To find more information on this show: https://www.augustapodcasts.com/thechangemaker
Find the video version of this podcast on our Youtube channel here: https://youtu.be/yL_jCNTpiBE
The Change Maker
The Change Maker is hosted by Deke Copenhaver. When Deke took over as mayor of his hometown of Augusta, Georgia, the city’s politics were broken and riven along racial lines. No group trusted any other group, so nothing got done.
From 2005 through 2014 Deke was a catalyst in helping to transform Augusta, attracting businesses to spur economic development, implementing social programs that impacted the lives of Augustans on a daily basis. He focused effort on communities that had been neglected for years.
No serving as the Principal of Copenhaver Consulting, Deke remains committed to being a Change Maker while helping others realize their potential to impact their communities for the better. For his work, he’s been recognized on multiple occasions by Georgia Trend Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians.
Deke currently authors a monthly column on leadership published by the Georgia Municipal Association. Deke earned a BA in Political Science from Augusta College and is a graduate of Leadership Georgia and the Mayors’ Institute on City Design.
A passionate athlete, Deke has completed five Ironman 70.3s and several half marathons. He and his wife, Malisa, reside in Augusta with their dogs Sarah Bet, Buddy, and Johnny.