Ex Neo-Nazi Recounts His Journey To Advocacy At South Bay Talk

MANHATTAN BEACH, CA — As part of the South Bay Community Coalition Against Hate's ongoing campaign to promote unity in local cities, the group invited former neo-Nazi Frank Meeink to share his transformation from a spokesperson for hate to one for change.

Last month, Meeink spoke to a packed auditorium in Manhattan Beach about his story that began with him joining a neo-Nazi group on the East Coast that fed off terrorizing people. He said his main reason for sharing his story now, is to discuss real solutions to the rising incidents of fascism and hate across the country.

"Speaking out the way that I am, and a lot of others are speaking out like I am, it isn't this critical race theory. It's [saying] that there have been some wrongs in this country, and it's okay to say 'Let's make an amends for that,'" Meeink said.

Meeink's story began when he was young and searching for somebody to listen to him because he didn't get much attention from his parents at home, he told the Manhattan Beach crowd. Through his cousin, he found community in a local group of neo-Nazis.

From there, his nights consisted of going to clubs in large groups to incite senseless violence and hurt anybody they came across, Meeink said. It wasn't until after he worked for a Jewish man unloading furniture that he realized that his views didn't necessarily line up with the people he came to surround himself with.

"Once we got together, we never talked about our heritage, we talked about everybody else's heritage and what they're doing to mess things up for us," Meeink said.

The Manhattan Beach event was one of first times Meeink spoke publicly again after a break, he said. One of the best things to come out of his talks, Meeink said, is when people approach him afterward to tell him they have had similar experiences because he feels like he's making a significant impact in peoples' lives.

Now, Meeink has lived in the South Bay for about three years and even manages a Thai restaurant in Long Beach. He said one of the biggest differences that he enjoys about living in Los Angeles County is the diversity and how kind people are.

"Every day working in my restaurant, I just look at tables and it's just multicultural. Everyone getting along," Meeink said. "I love it. We get along and people have each other's back."