Leyden will talk about his experiences with hate, his change of values and his goals of spreading and teaching tolerance on Wednesday, March 24, from 12:30 to 2:00 p.m. at the university's Performing Arts Center. He will provide anecdotes and will facilitate a question and answers forum.

These issues need to be addressed because "not only do we have an increase in neo-Nazi white supremacist activities, but also it appears that there is a spread of hatred and violence in our country," said Carolyn Okazaki, the university counselor. "The goal of the forum is to get people to think about the choices they make in their personal interactions."

At the age of 15, Leyden turned to a violent skinhead subculture to rebel against his parents' divorce. His path eventually led him to become one of the most successful organizers in the white supremacist movement.

After 15 years in the organization, Leyden reformed his life and abandoned his beliefs when his son used a derogatory term for African-Americans in conjunction with the Nazi salute.

"He was only three, and I knew he wasn't going to grow up to find the cure for cancer or serve on the Supreme Court. He was going to be a mindless bum beating people for kicks," Leyden said.

Leyden has since become an activist against white supremacy, speaking at more than 100 high schools and military groups, including the Pentagon and the FBI. He has worked for more than five years at the Simon Wiesenthal Center as an anti-hate activist and educator.

Through Leyden's story, people can learn to "harness courage to turn away our own fears and prejudices," Okazaki said.

Leyden's presentation, "Turning Away from Hate," is sponsored by Project ACT (Advocates for Culture Talk) and the University Student Union. CSUN is located at 18111 Nordhoff St. in Northridge. The Performing Arts Center, in the university's student union, is located near the east side of campus.

Services for the hearing impaired will be available. For more information about the forum, call (818) 677-2366.

California State University, Northridge has 33,000 full- and part-time students and offers 61 bachelor's and 42 master's degrees as well as 28 education credential programs. Founded in 1958, it is the only four-year university in the San Fernando Valley and the fourth largest in the 23-campus CSU system. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.