Sammy Rangel, executive director of the Life After Hate nonprofit organization, will talk about his past experiences as a former violent extremist at the Eighth Annual Interdisciplinary Center for Global Diversity Symposium Tuesday afternoon.

According to the ICGD program, Rangel joined the Maniac Latin Disciples gang when he was 11 years old.

After a number of years of violence and spending time in and out of mental institutions, foster homes and detention homes, Rangel decided to pursue his education after checking himself into a drug abuse program, the ICGD program says. He then began working for the Wisconsin Safe Streets Outreach Program.

Now, Rangel helps law enforcement to prevent and reduce violent extremism and is also the author of his own autobiography, “Fourbears: The Myths of Forgiveness,” according to the ICGD program.

The Life After Hate nonprofit that Rangel is executive director of is comprised of other former violent extremists as well, said James Ochwa-Echel, an Eastern professor and the director of ICGD.

“The (Life After Hate) organization works to counter violent extremism and offers outreach, consultations, interventions and support systems for individuals who have successfully disengaged from violent extremism among other things,” he said.

Rangel also went on to found Formers Anonymous, he said.

“(Formers Anonymous is) a national self-help group based on a 12-step model meant to help criminal addicts addicted to street life and violence who are looking for support, change and recovery,” Ochwa-Echel said.

In addition to Rangel’s speech, there are other speakers of note that will be presenting their own perspectives on globally diverse subjects at the symposium.

From noon until 1 p.m., a complementary lunch will be provided for all speakers and guests in attendance.

After lunch, Rangel’s speech lasts from 1 p.m. until 2 p.m.

After Rangel, Vanesa Landrus will present “The Politics of Identity in Esmeralda Santiago’s Casinua Mujer,” Katherine Lewandowski will present “Turning the Tide: Trends in Participation of Women in Oceanography” and then Jinhee Lee will talk “Recording and Revealing Toward Reconciliation: Evidence-based Demystification of the Kanto Massacre of Koreans in Japan, 1923.”

In addition, Myrtle Castro will present “Awkward Alliance: An Analysis of American and Philippine Relations from 1965-1989,” Razak Dwomoh will present “The Development and Implications of Social Studies/History Curricula in Ghana” and the Symposium will come to a close with Melissa Ames’ presentation, “Twitter, Television and Sexism: Comparing the Live Tweeting Practices of Viewers of Serial Programming, Reality Television and Political News Coverage” at 5 p.m.

The Symposium will take place in the Arcola/Tuscola Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Logan Raschke can be reached at 581-2812 or at lrraschke@eiu.edu.