Erasing Hate

Erasing Hate is a remarkable story of transformation and redemption. In early 2009, Bryon Widner’s face, neck and hands were covered with intimidating, racist tattoos. It was then he began a series of painful and extensive laser tattoo removal procedures—twenty-five treatments over the course of more than a year and a half. But the tattoo removal was just the outward sign of an inner transformation.

Erasing Hate chronicles both in a film that takes viewers inside the dark world of racist skinheads, yet offers hope in the story of one man’s struggle to escape from a life of violence, addiction and bigotry. When he and his wife grew disenchanted with their lifestyle, they reached out and were greeted with trust by the Southern Poverty Law Center and others, who helped them start new lives. It’s not a seamless process and the violence is hard to leave behind, but the physical transformation as the tattoos disappear accompanies their re-entry into society. They are welcomed, without judgment and learn that race makes no difference in one’s humanity.

Mature themes, mild violence and strong language due to nature of the film’s subject. For the squeamish, there are scenes of needle injections as part of the tattoo removal process.