January 14, 2003

FORMER ARYAN NATIONS MEMBER TO GIVE FREE LECTURES ON HATE GROUPS

Floyd Cochran, human rights activist and former Aryan Nations spokesman and recruiter, will give two free lectures at Boise State University on Jan. 23. The first lecture, titled "What Hate Groups Want From You," will be from 9-10:30 a.m. in the Student Union Hatch Ballroom. At 7 p.m. in the Jordan "A" Ballroom, there will be "A Community Conversation with Floyd Cochran" followed by a Reader’s Theatre presented by the Ada County Human Rights Task Force.

Cochran was once the fifth ranking member of the Aryan Nations, but he left the white supremacy movement in 1992 after he was told his 4-year-old son should be euthanized because he was born with a cleft palate. Cochran says, "My innocent son was being targeted for something he had no control over, much like the people I hated." Since then, Cochran has been trying to counteract the hate he used to promote.

With a 15-year involvement in the racist movement, Cochran draws on his experiences to discuss the agenda of hate groups, how we can combat the hate they promote, and how they recruit our young people. According to Cochran, "My job was to travel the country recruiting college and high school students for the organization and for God. The method of recruitment involved using wedge issues to rally the youth by promoting fear and hate. I wouldn’t walk up to people and say ‘Hey, you want to join Adolf Hitler, you want to join a hate group, you want to worship Adolf Hitler?’ When I came to your community, I didn’t pull out the swastikas. I pulled out the Bible."

Cochran has been interviewed as an expert on hate groups and has appeared on numerous national television and radio programs, including "Nightline," "48 Hours," CNN’s "Talkback Live," and Fox News. Cochran has served as a consultant for federal and state law enforcement agencies and the U.S. military, and he has testified about hate crimes before several state legislatures. He was recently appointed to the education staff of the National Liberty Museum, a Holocaust studies center and tolerance exhibit in Philadelphia. Cochran’s story has been featured in "Healing the Hate," an educational manual for school children published by the U.S. Justice Department. In recognition of his efforts to promote tolerance, he has received numerous awards from a wide range of organizations, including the NAACP, the YWCA, FBI and the U.S. Navy Security Command.

Cochran has lectured widely at universities, colleges, high schools and human rights conferences throughout the United States. He is also the founder and director of Education and Vigilance, a grassroots organization that monitors and exposes white supremacist activity.

"What Hate Groups Want From You" is sponsored by the Department of Criminal Justice Administration, Organization of Social Workers and Boise State’s Lambda Alpha Epsilon. "A

Community Conversation with Floyd Cochran" is sponsored by Boise State, Ada County Human Rights Task Force, Association of Idaho Cities, Boise Community Response Network, Bureau of Reclamation, Canyon Area Human Rights Task Force, Idaho Human Rights Education Center, The Interfaith Alliance, United Vision for Idaho, Voices of Faith for Human Rights, West Central Idaho Citizens Task Force for Human Rights and United Vision for Idaho.

For more information call 426-1223.

Rob Meyer

Student Union and Activities

426-1335

Kathleen Craven

communications and marketing

426-3275

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