Name: Sookie Lee

Social Justice Group: Cults and Online Radicalization

Date of Fieldwork: January 25th, 2023

Name of Organization and person (people) with whom you met and their title(s): Patrick Riccards, CEO of Life After Hate

Type of Fieldwork: Interview

What I did do and what I learned about my topic, activism, social justice work or civil and human rights work from this fieldwork?

At 12:30 we joined a google meet with the CEO of Life After Hate, Patrick Riccards. Life After Hate is an organization that helps people leave extremist groups. They work with former extremists to help eliminate the hate that is spreading online.

We spoke to Patrick about a lot of things. We talked a lot about social media and how it plays into the radicalization of children, especially young, white, lonely boys. He talked to us about the reasons and ways people join the groups (mainly through social media and misogynist jokes). He told us about what his company does and the ways that people’s loved ones reach out to them for help. He told us about what these former extremists were like when they first joined the groups and the steps they need to take to become the person they want to be. They first have to realize that they did something wrong and truly believe that they are at fault for the healing process to work/start. He told us that when people first get out of hate groups they don’t know what to do. Before their life was controlled in every aspect because they were basically in a cult so it takes some time for them to transition back to normal life.

Patrick’s ideas really helped our group understand and answer all of the questions we asked. He had so much helpful information that we will definitely include in our final project.