“Equity is both a value and an action plan.”
- Randall Blazak, PhD
About Randy Blazak
Randy Blazak’s scholarship on hate crimes and hate groups has made him a regular commentator in media outlets from NPR and CNN to BBC and Al Jazeera. Blazak earned his PhD at Emory University in 1995 after completing an extensive field study of racist skinheads that included undercover observations and interviews across the world. He became a tenured sociology professor at Portland State University and now works on strategies to confront extremism. His work has taken him from classrooms to criminal trials. His research has been published in academic journals, books and in the mainstream press. His co-authored book, Teenage Renegades, Suburban Outlaws Wadsworth, 2001) and his edited volume, Hate Offenders (Praeger, 2009) have been widely adopted. Since 2002, he has been the chair of the Coalition Against Hate Crimes. He has worked with the National Institute of Justice and the Southern Poverty Law Center on hate crime research issues. Blazak regularly speaks at conferences, consults on criminal cases, and leads workshops on the topics of hate and bias. He is currently the vice-chair of the steering committee in charge of implementing Oregon’s new bias crime law. Blazak is also currently on a federal grant to develop methods to prevent violent extremism.
Recent News
United Shades of America
Dr. Blazak appeared on CNN’s United Shades of America to discuss the threat of extremism.
Analyzing the Jan. 6 Capitol Attack
Dr. Blazak did several interviews on the significance of the January 6 attack on the Capitol Building. This interview was done by Portland Monthly.
Can the Biden Administration combat extremism?
There have been many opportunities for Dr. Blazak to address how the incoming administration best combats extremism. This interview was in The Daily Beast.
Discussing violence at Portland Protests
Dr. Blazak has been regularly commenting to the media on the anti-racism protests in Portland, including the shooting that occurred on August 29, 2020. This interview was on CNN’s Newsroom.
Discussing Bias in the Age of Protest
On June 12, 2020, Dr. Blazak discussed the need to tackle the issue of racism and implicit bias head-on on the Bureau of Digital podcast. Methods of making workplaces and culture more equitable were discussed at length.
New bias crime law signed by Governor
On September 16, 2019, Governor Kate Brown signed Oregon’s new bias crime bill, SB 577, into law. Dr. Blazak will serve as the vice-chair of the steering committee that will oversee its implementation.
Discussing the New Zealand attack
After a series of interviews about the Christchurch terrorist attack, Dr. Blazak reflects on the link between sociopathy and white supremacy.
CNN interview on synagogue attack
Dr. Blazak did several interviews with the mainstream media regarding the Pittsburgh synagogue attack and the rise in domestic terrorism events.
UK Exchange to study community responses to extremism.
Dr. Blazak took part in a 10 day trip to study community responses to violent extremism in Britain as part of an exchange sponsored by the U.S. Embassy.
Discussing gender and extremism in Abu Dhabi
Randy Blazak spoke at a United Nations workshop on the role of gender in countering violent extremism, April 16-18 in the United Arab Emirates.
Randy Blazak's invited article on masculinity and white supremacy.
Randy Blazak hosts second in series of community hate crime forums.
