Confronting Hate: Neo-Nazis & the Klan

1988. Geraldo on his namesake talk show with a segment that quickly dissolves into violence. Joining the skinheads on set is Roy Innis, Chairman of the Congress of Racial Equality and Rabbi A. Bruce Goldman president of the Center for Jewish Living.

"..do you not believe sir, that Adolf Hitler and the Nazis were heroes?...."

"..yah, sure. They took up a struggle...in ten years they did, the National Socialist party in Germany did something that no one else has ever done..."

The segment, tense from the beginning, quickly dissolves after an audience question addressed to the racist skinheads: "If you have true belief in your convictions and your movement is as good and as powerful as you say it is, why are you afraid to let other people speak? Why are you not like other minorities and allow other people to pursue whatever happiness they find, in whatever religion they find, whatever color they happen to be, you don't let anybody answer a question..."

It is hard to imagine any other TV personality, news or otherwise, continuing the show with a broken nose. Geraldo Rivera does so.

The prelude and lead up to this confrontation is here: https://youtu.be/PaEOwCepV-c

The segment following this one, final of the show, is here: https://youtu.be/i6wG6ZaoTYE

Geraldo's television history.

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1988. Geraldo Rivera on his namesake talk show hosts 3 members of neo-nazi groups; John Metzger director of the White Aryan resistance, Bob Heick director of the American Front and Michael Palasch of the National Resistance. In the audience are rows of their supporters, and also self-proclaimed skinheads who don't believe the title belongs to whites only. We hear from some of them in this segment.

Pathological misfits, or is there a meaning behind the message? After an introduction by Geraldo, the turbulent conversation tries to uncover what is behind these young skinheads and all three get a chance to speak. Frequent interruptions, open threats...

"What about the desecration of synagogues?"

"Ha! they should be paying us not to."

This segment puts into context the infamous brawl, which happens in the minutes following. The skinheads seem to be advocating for a racially pure state as an end goal, based on being white, though the contradiction of America's own history seems lost on them.

The following segment, where the studio erupts into a brawl, is here:
https://youtu.be/VoETKm2hWsY

The final segment of the same show, where the non-racist skinheads from the audience speak, is here:
https://youtu.be/i6wG6ZaoTYE

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1988. Geraldo Rivera's namesake talk show continues after a fight with racist neo-nazis broke out on stage. After they are ejected from the studio and the violence stops, we hear from a frightened woman in the audience who is spending her first day in New York.

We also hear from non-racist skinheads of multiple ethnicities, still in studio, who define their movement as coming together of the working people. Roy Innis and Rabbi Goldman get a few last words in on the state of racism as a whole in America - do black radical individuals and groups exacerbate the problem?

"I hope she can grow up in a world that doesnt have hate mongers, and if they do, I hope the majority of people fight against them..."

The first segment of this show is here:
https://youtu.be/PaEOwCepV-c

and the second segment, including the brawl, is here:
https://youtu.be/VoETKm2hWsY

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June 14th, 1994. Geraldo Rivera on his namesake talk show, this episode titled "Leaving Hate Behind". Amid the spate of racist crimes sweeping the country, we talk to Dominick Bruno, a former member of the racist 'SS Action Group' who left that life. In doing so he turned over information to the FBI on crimes committed or going to be committed by his former compatriots.

On stage are representatives of the 'Aryan Racial Loyalist' party out of Cleveland Ohio, one just 18 years old. In the audience are others affiliated with the KKK, including a man who introduces himself as head of the Klan bureau of investigation, the secret service of the Klan.

"If I was an informer, I'd be dead, just the way you otta be...."

KKK membership is generally kept secret by the people participating.

This day in Geraldo's show history.

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May 13th, 1992. Geraldo on his namesake talk show hosts a panel on opposite ends in their visions for America. Speaking in favor of racially pure countries is Tom Metzger, founder of W.A.R. or the White Aryan Resistance, along with his son John Metzger and their lawyer Kirk Lyons.

Speaking favorably towards the makeup of multi-cultural societies we have Reverend Al Sharpton whom is running for United States senate, Sister Souljah who fears these views represent the views of most white Americans and Ralph Wiley who says education is the best way to combat extremism.

Tom Metzger passed away in 2020.

Most of the other figures on this panel remain active today.

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May 17th, 1993. Geraldo Rivera on his namesake talk show brings us the women of various white supremacist movements. Why are they there?

"...wanted to see something change, who wanted something better. A lot of us...myself, were going to school, I didn't like the education I was receiving.."

The women on stage speak before Geraldo checks in with some of their boyfriends in the first couple of rows. One of the girls, from the Aryan Unity Coalition admits to never having had a conversation with a black person. Nonetheless she doesn't like them -- and her position isn't based on ignorance, but a lot of study Towards the end of this segment we hear from a grand dragon of the templar knights, the 'white warriors' that will lead the women to supreme victory...

The opinions represented in this segment continue to exist in some parts of America today.

This day, Geraldo's television history.

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January 30th, 1995. Geraldo Rivera on his namesake talk show brings us confrontation between different race-based groups on stage.

"We're people who are proud of our race and I'm not happy about what happened in the past to the Afro-Americans...that is the past....it is over, you are no longer slaves we are no longer slave-owners..."

Emotions run high when an audience member wearing a National Socialist White America's party patch claims there is no more slavery and white people should be able to feel proud of their race. Queen Anita of the Zulu nation rebuts that white supremacist groups do the same thing, but violently.

In 2026 both the Klu Klux Klan and the Universal Zulu Nation still exist, promoting their very different values.

This day, Geraldo's television history.

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February 7th, 1994. Geraldo Rivera's namesake talk show hosts Michael McGee of the Black Panther Militia as well as white groups that think races should be separate.

"Well, I think that reparations are owed to the African community not only for back before 1865 but for what's happening now..."

Guests include Wendy Thomas of Posse Comitatus, Penny Hess of the African Peoples Solidarity Committee, Gaeta of the National Peoples Democratic Uhuru Movement, Robert Brock part of the movement since Marcus Garvey, and others who believe that blacks should be governed by blacks and whites governed by whites. Passionate arguments are laid out for reparations, against colonialism, and in support of the pride of individual races. Some of the KKK members on stage believe blacks have already been paid.

This day, Geraldo's Television history.

Part two of this segment is here: https://youtu.be/n7YKGP4wp-Q

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September 14th, 1992. Geraldo Rivera's namesake talk show on what really happened, and whether a fight with a klansman is ignoring the real story.

"..Groups that are usually at odds with each other, but now in what we think is an ominous development, have put aside their differences and become allies..."

After the introduction we're on to Janesville, beginning with a passionate speech by James Yarbrough an activist there. Many residents are against the march and the rally as counter-protestors gather to protest against those advocating an ethnically pure America. Local residents describe their general disgust when Ken Peterson and 'his skinheads' came through their neighborhoods chanting White Power on a Saturday afternoon. We hear from Theresa Toles, a local black resident, about the intimidating letters she has received and others on receiving end of hate crimes. James Toles has bullet holes in his house and describes the incident in detail.

The counter-protestors initial confrontation with police is shown towards the end of this clip.

This day, Geraldo's Television History.

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