Why Young Men: The Dangerous Allure of Violent Movements and What We Can Do About It

In this passionate account, lawyer and activist Jivani lays out a vision for keeping young black and Muslim men from becoming radicalized by violent movements such as the Nation of Islam, ISIS, and the alt-right. For young men’s vulnerability to radicalization, Jivani blames a multigenerational cycle of fatherlessness, the sense of belonging offered by conflict-centered organizations that “focus on fear and vengeance,” the daily realities of systemic racism, and distrust of the police. He sees the antidote in local community groups aligned with social ideals, sharing lessons he learned while working with Newark’s Fathers Now, Brussels youth organizations JES and Association de Jeunes Morocains, and Ohio’s Community Action Agencies. He also recounts his own success story of growing up in a troubled home in an immigrant neighborhood in Ontario and experimenting with hip-hop culture and the Nation of Islam spin-off the Five Percenters, before eventually finding the “capacity to aspire” and becoming a Yale-educated lawyer. He argues for building allyship with the police, criticizes Black Lives Matter for ideological railroading, and sympathizes with those who feel implicated in the “whitelash” of anti-Trump narratives. Younger and more left-leaning readers won’t find Jivani’s outlook palatable, but it will resonate for readers with more traditional, centrist views. [em](May) [/em]