American Renaissance 2017 a Triumph

Last weekend’s 2017 American Renaissance conference was a triumph. There was a capacity crowd of 300 people, and many more had to be turned away. More than half the people present were attending their first AmRen conference. The average age of the crowd was significantly younger than at the last AmRen conference I attended in 2008.

Counter-Currents had a book table, which I manned along with Aedon Cassiel and George from Toronto. I also want to thank Sally and Jaenelle for filling in as well. I arrived with 5-and-a-half boxes of books and sold close to 80% of them, which is very good for conferences of this type. I also autographed books that I authored or edited and very much enjoyed meeting and talking with Counter-Currents readers and supporters as well as friends new and old.

Because of interviews, meetings, and networking, I could not attend all the sessions, but for me the high points were the talks by Jared Taylor and Peter Brimelow as well as two new speakers, Martin Lichtmesz from Austria who writes for Sezession and Julian Langness who edits European Civil War and writes for Counter-Currents. (Aedon Cassiel will have a complete report on the speeches and other events.)

Despite the best efforts of the Southern Poverty Law Center and those who share their agenda, as far as I could see, the conference was unmarred by movement drama and infighting.

The Tennessee State Police were out in force to contain the contingent of communist, anarchist, and Christian protesters, which was much larger and more obnoxious this year because of the election of Donald Trump, who has apparently slashed government funding for psychiatric medications and turned the patients of mental hospitals out on the streets. (The police could not be everywhere, however, and one attendee who broke protocol and engaged the protesters was assaulted by thugs.)

It is a shame that the AmRen conference has outgrown the facilities at Montgomery Bell State Park, because the setting is beautiful and the staff were unfailingly friendly and efficient. I made a point of thanking the police for their presence and tipping generously at meals, which should be our practice at all real-world meetups.

I want to thank Counter-Currents’ readers and donors for making this trip possible and everyone who stopped by our table to buy books and say hello. I also want to thank Jared Taylor and his staff and supporters for putting on another superb conference. Not only was the majority of the audience attending their first AmRen conference, some of the people I spoke to were attending their first real world White Nationalist gathering of any kind. AmRen 2017 could not have been a better introduction to our movement. I will definitely be back in 2018.

[Editor’s Note: Here’s another good write-up of the event, with some excellent photos.]