*Civil rights activist James Hart Stern pledged to dismantle and destroy one of the largest neo-Nazi organizations in the U.S., but he has died before seeing his lofty goal fully complete.
Stern died at his home in Moreno Valley, California last month at the age of 55 after a long battle with cancer, Complex reports.
He was dubbed the “BlackKkKlansman” earlier this year when it was revealed though corporate filings that he was named president of the National Socialist Movement (NSM). He had replaced the group’s longtime leader, Jeff Schoep, who until recently was an avowed neo-Nazi since a c age of 10.
“As a black man, I took over a neo-Nazi group and outsmarted them,” Stern explained. In an interview with CNN, he said that his ultimate goal is to “change it, reverse it, and ultimately destroy it.”
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The NSM was one of several groups sued for their involvement in the deadly “Unite The Right” rally held in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017. After Stern took over the organization, he filed a request asking a Virginia federal court to rule against the NSM before one of the lawsuits headed to trial. He planned to use his position as president of the group to undermine their defense in the lawsuit.
Matthew Heimbach, a white nationalist who previously served as NSM’s community outreach director, said Stern’s takeover of the group would certainly be the beginning of the end for NSM.
“I think it’s kind of a sad obit for one of the longest-running white nationalist organizations,” Heimbach said.
Stern’s predecessor and outspoken racist, Jeff Schoep, led NSM for over two decades. Following the appointment of Stern, Schoep sent a letter to other members of the group claiming Stern had “deceived” him by convincing “me that in order to protect our membership from the ongoing lawsuit, I should sign over NSM’s presidency to him.”
Stern previously noted that he wanted to inspire fellow activists to join the fight against racism and discrimination.
“I expect every minority, Jewish and black, which has been affected by it… to contact me and reach out so we can put our heads together and make sure that this is done productively.”
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