Kevin Alfred Strom
Encyclopedia
Kevin Alfred Strom is the former Managing Director of National Vanguard
. Strom resigned from National Vanguard in July 2006. National Vanguard disbanded on March 14, 2007, and its website has been dormant since that time.
In 2008 Strom pleaded guilty to possession of ten images of child pornography
and was sentenced to 23 months in prison.
in 1956. It has been stated that Strom scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT
exam, although the date in which he attained that feat is dubious; he has never attended a university and also has no college degree. Strom claims to have attended George Mason University
in Fairfax
, Virginia
without taking a degree, although this is unverified.
Strom's marriage to his first wife, Kirsten Kaiser, produced three children. Since their marriage ended, Kaiser has spoken out about her life with Strom in several interviews. She has also written a book on her experiences with Strom and the National Alliance entitled The Bondage of Self (ISBN 0-9720705-5-9). Kaiser claimed that Strom was an extremely controlling husband who forced her to abstain from meat, forbade her to wear blue jeans, and predetermined her favorite music, Mozart
. She has since disavowed the racist
beliefs she held while in her two marriages with second husband Joseph McLaughlin and third with Strom.
, and neo-Nazi. In 1991, he founded and frequently delivered the American Dissident Voices shortwave and Internet radio broadcasts. In 1995, he founded and edited Free Speech magazine, published by the Alliance as an adjunct to the radio program. In early 2002, a few months before his death from cancer on July 23, the Alliance's founder, William Luther Pierce
, named Strom editor of National Vanguard magazine and Media Director for the Alliance. Pierce also named Strom editor of the Alliance's monthly Bulletin.
During the weekend of April 16-17, 2005, Strom and several others were expelled from the National Alliance because of a dispute with the Alliance leadership. The expelled former Alliance members, led by Strom, promptly formed their own organization which they called National Vanguard
. As he previously had done for the National Alliance, Strom again delivered weekly Internet radio broadcasts which he also called American Dissident Voices for National Vanguard
, but they were often 1-3 weeks late. These broadcasts effectively ceased with his departure.
Strom was also briefly the managing editor of The Truth at Last newspaper during 2005. Several sources have described this tabloid as being heavily antisemitic and racist
, often referring to blacks and African-Americans as an inferior race. Strom's boss at The Truth at Last, Edward Fields, is a former Grand Dragon of the New Order Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
.
Strom was a close associate of University of Illinois Classics professor and nationalist writer Revilo P. Oliver
, who has been described as "one of America's most notorious fascists" and, according to B'nai Brith Canada
, was "a long time proponent of antisemitism". Strom was chosen by the Oliver estate to be the archivist and publisher of Oliver's papers after Oliver committed suicide
in 1994. In 2002, Strom published Oliver's book, The Jewish Strategy.
Strom is a former broadcast engineer and holds Amateur radio
license WB4AIO. Between 1983 and 1991, a pirate radio
station named "Voice of Tomorrow" operated on both shortwave and mediumwave frequencies, broadcasting openly racist and Neo-Nazi material, presumably from the Lynchburg, Virginia
area. According to Strom's ex-wife, Kirsten Kaiser, "Voice of Tomorrow" was operated by Strom himself.
, Virginia
on charges of possession of child pornography
and witness tampering
. The Grand Jury
later added the charges of receiving child pornography and of seeking to coerce a 10-year-old into a sexual relationship. At the October 2007 federal trial on charges of sexually coercing a 10-year old girl, and of witness intimidation, the judge threw out both charges due to lack of evidence.
At the plea hearing on January 14, 2008, Strom pleaded guilty to possessing computer images of child pornography and was held at Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail while awaiting sentencing.
On 21 April 2008, he was sentenced to 23 months of incarceration, with credit for times served, and 15 years of supervised release. He was released from prison on September 3, 2008 and currently resides in Earlysville, Virginia.
Critical
Other
National Vanguard (American organization)
National Vanguard is an American National Socialist organization based in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded in 2005 by Kevin Alfred Strom and former members of the National Alliance.-History:...
. Strom resigned from National Vanguard in July 2006. National Vanguard disbanded on March 14, 2007, and its website has been dormant since that time.
In 2008 Strom pleaded guilty to possession of ten images of child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
and was sentenced to 23 months in prison.
Early life
Kevin Alfred Strom was born in Anchorage, AlaskaAnchorage, Alaska
Anchorage is a unified home rule municipality in the southcentral part of the U.S. state of Alaska. It is the northernmost major city in the United States...
in 1956. It has been stated that Strom scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
exam, although the date in which he attained that feat is dubious; he has never attended a university and also has no college degree. Strom claims to have attended George Mason University
George Mason University
George Mason University is a public university based in unincorporated Fairfax County, Virginia, United States, south of and adjacent to the city of Fairfax. Additional campuses are located nearby in Arlington County, Prince William County, and Loudoun County...
in Fairfax
Fairfax, Virginia
The City of Fairfax is an independent city forming an enclave within the confines of Fairfax County, in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Although politically independent of the surrounding county, the City is nevertheless the county seat....
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
without taking a degree, although this is unverified.
Strom's marriage to his first wife, Kirsten Kaiser, produced three children. Since their marriage ended, Kaiser has spoken out about her life with Strom in several interviews. She has also written a book on her experiences with Strom and the National Alliance entitled The Bondage of Self (ISBN 0-9720705-5-9). Kaiser claimed that Strom was an extremely controlling husband who forced her to abstain from meat, forbade her to wear blue jeans, and predetermined her favorite music, Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , baptismal name Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Mozart , was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical era. He composed over 600 works, many acknowledged as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic, and choral music...
. She has since disavowed the racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
beliefs she held while in her two marriages with second husband Joseph McLaughlin and third with Strom.
Activist history
In 1982, Kevin Alfred Strom became a member of the National Alliance, a group that has been described as antisemitic, racistRacism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, and neo-Nazi. In 1991, he founded and frequently delivered the American Dissident Voices shortwave and Internet radio broadcasts. In 1995, he founded and edited Free Speech magazine, published by the Alliance as an adjunct to the radio program. In early 2002, a few months before his death from cancer on July 23, the Alliance's founder, William Luther Pierce
William Luther Pierce
William Luther Pierce III was the leader of the white separatist National Alliance organization, and one of the most important ideologists of the white nationalist movement. Pierce originally worked as an assistant professor of physics at Oregon State University, before he became involved in...
, named Strom editor of National Vanguard magazine and Media Director for the Alliance. Pierce also named Strom editor of the Alliance's monthly Bulletin.
During the weekend of April 16-17, 2005, Strom and several others were expelled from the National Alliance because of a dispute with the Alliance leadership. The expelled former Alliance members, led by Strom, promptly formed their own organization which they called National Vanguard
National Vanguard (American organization)
National Vanguard is an American National Socialist organization based in Charlottesville, Virginia, founded in 2005 by Kevin Alfred Strom and former members of the National Alliance.-History:...
. As he previously had done for the National Alliance, Strom again delivered weekly Internet radio broadcasts which he also called American Dissident Voices for National Vanguard
National Vanguard
National Vanguard refers to three entities:*National Vanguard *National Vanguard *National Vanguard...
, but they were often 1-3 weeks late. These broadcasts effectively ceased with his departure.
Strom was also briefly the managing editor of The Truth at Last newspaper during 2005. Several sources have described this tabloid as being heavily antisemitic and racist
Racism
Racism is the belief that inherent different traits in human racial groups justify discrimination. In the modern English language, the term "racism" is used predominantly as a pejorative epithet. It is applied especially to the practice or advocacy of racial discrimination of a pernicious nature...
, often referring to blacks and African-Americans as an inferior race. Strom's boss at The Truth at Last, Edward Fields, is a former Grand Dragon of the New Order Knights of the Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
.
Strom was a close associate of University of Illinois Classics professor and nationalist writer Revilo P. Oliver
Revilo P. Oliver
Revilo Pendleton Oliver was an American professor of Classical philology, Spanish, and Italian at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who wrote and polemicized extensively for white nationalist causes....
, who has been described as "one of America's most notorious fascists" and, according to B'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada
B'nai Brith Canada is the Canadian section of B'nai Brith . It was founded in 1875 and is the country's oldest Jewish service organization.-Members:...
, was "a long time proponent of antisemitism". Strom was chosen by the Oliver estate to be the archivist and publisher of Oliver's papers after Oliver committed suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in 1994. In 2002, Strom published Oliver's book, The Jewish Strategy.
Strom is a former broadcast engineer and holds Amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
license WB4AIO. Between 1983 and 1991, a pirate radio
Pirate radio
Pirate radio is illegal or unregulated radio transmission. The term is most commonly used to describe illegal broadcasting for entertainment or political purposes, but is also sometimes used for illegal two-way radio operation...
station named "Voice of Tomorrow" operated on both shortwave and mediumwave frequencies, broadcasting openly racist and Neo-Nazi material, presumably from the Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg, Virginia
Lynchburg is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 75,568 as of 2010. Located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains along the banks of the James River, Lynchburg is known as the "City of Seven Hills" or "The Hill City." Lynchburg was the only major city in...
area. According to Strom's ex-wife, Kirsten Kaiser, "Voice of Tomorrow" was operated by Strom himself.
Arrest, conviction, prison and release
On January 4, 2007, Strom was arrested in Greene CountyGreene County, Virginia
As of the census of 2000, there are 15,244 people, 5,574 households, and 4,291 families residing in the county. The population density is 97 people per square mile . There are 5,986 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
on charges of possession of child pornography
Child pornography
Child pornography refers to images or films and, in some cases, writings depicting sexually explicit activities involving a child...
and witness tampering
Witness tampering
Witness tampering is harming or otherwise threatening a witness, hoping to influence his or her testimony.-Witness tampering in the USA:In the United States, the crime of witness tampering in federal cases is defined by statute at , "Tampering with a witness, victim, or an informant"...
. The Grand Jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
later added the charges of receiving child pornography and of seeking to coerce a 10-year-old into a sexual relationship. At the October 2007 federal trial on charges of sexually coercing a 10-year old girl, and of witness intimidation, the judge threw out both charges due to lack of evidence.
At the plea hearing on January 14, 2008, Strom pleaded guilty to possessing computer images of child pornography and was held at Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail while awaiting sentencing.
On 21 April 2008, he was sentenced to 23 months of incarceration, with credit for times served, and 15 years of supervised release. He was released from prison on September 3, 2008 and currently resides in Earlysville, Virginia.
- Kevin Strom's entry at Virginia Sex Offender Registry
External links
Official- Kevin Strom's Homepage
- Kevin-strom.com - Former website from Archive.org
- Kevin Strom Articles Archive
- Kevin Strom's Art of the West Gallery
Critical
- Charleston Gazette interview with Strom's ex-wife, Kirsten Helene Kaiser, about life with Strom
- Hook Weekly interview with Strom's current but estranged wife, Elisha Strom
- Southern Poverty Law Center profile of Kevin Strom
- SPLC article about life with Strom
Other
- Kevin Strom's entry at Virginia Sex Offender Registry
- FCC data for license WB4AIO