Flipping Tables – Episode 38: “Conviction: A Redemption Story with Danny Collins”
Host: Monte Mader
Guest: Danny F. Collins
Date: October 22, 2025
Episode Overview
In this powerful and personal episode, Monte Mader sits down with Danny F. Collins – a former professional baseball player who battled opioid addiction, spent 14 years in prison, and became involved with white supremacist ideology and the MAGA movement before undergoing a radical transformation. Together, they delve into Danny’s journey of deconstructing his beliefs, confronting his past, and advocating for anti-racism and prison reform. The episode is rich with personal anecdotes, systemic critique, and discussions on finding hope and liberation through education, accountability, and empathy.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Danny’s Background and Descent into Addiction & Prison
- Early Life and Baseball Career
- Grew up in conservative Christian Florida; signed with Atlanta Braves at 19.
- Motorcycle accident led to opioid addiction.
"I lost everything and ultimately went to prison." (02:14)
- Entry into Politics
- Political awakening aligned with Trump’s 2016 campaign, resonating with rural white communities.
- Prison experience put systemic injustice into stark relief.
2. Prison: Racial Dynamics, Friendship, and Eye-Opening Realities
- Meeting a Black Muslim Inmate
- Forged unlikely friendship across racial and religious lines.
- Observed sentencing disparities: Black youth sentenced harshly for minor involvement (20 years), while Danny (white) given many more chances.
“When that judge sentenced you, he looked at you as the all American boy ... When he sentenced me, he saw just another young black kid lost to the system.” (05:08)
- Work and the 13th Amendment
- Prison labor highlighted as “modern day slavery.”
- Black inmate refused to work on outside squads, explaining the connection between the 13th Amendment and forced labor.
“He said, no, that’s not a good thing, it’s modern day slavery.” (10:20)
3. Radicalization & MAGA: Why Trump’s Message Resonated
- Conditioned Values
- Followed Republican ideology without deep questioning (anti-abortion, anti-gay marriage).
- Trump’s appeal: Presented as an anti-establishment outsider and “protector” of white Christian values.
- White Grievance & Dog Whistles
- Felt “white people are under attack” – a core MAGA narrative.
“He made us feel safe in our mediocrity. You don’t have to learn anything new when you support Trump.” (14:20)
- Felt “white people are under attack” – a core MAGA narrative.
- Joining a White Supremacist Group
- Motivated by perceived threat to white masculinity and identity – not consciously viewing himself as "racist" at the time.
4. The Unraveling: Education, Books, and Systemic Awareness
- Catalysts for Change
- Black friend introduced Danny to Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow and concepts around mass incarceration.
“When I read that book ... I look back at the times and all the conversations I had with him, and I was like, he was right.” (07:25)
- Black friend introduced Danny to Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow and concepts around mass incarceration.
- Mass Incarceration as Modern Jim Crow
- Learned about 700% increase in prison population post-civil rights era, systemic targeting of Black and Brown communities, ongoing legal discrimination against felons.
“Either I have to think black people are inherently criminal ... or there is a system that has been designed to deliberately target and keep a demographic of people oppressed.” (22:10)
- Learned about 700% increase in prison population post-civil rights era, systemic targeting of Black and Brown communities, ongoing legal discrimination against felons.
5. Deconstructing Belief: Loneliness, Liberation, and Community Loss
- Leaving MAGA and White Nationalism
- The process was “lonely” but ultimately freeing; lost both in-person and online community.
- Marriage with MAGA-aligned wife fell apart as Danny prioritized advocacy and truth over comfort.
“No matter what, I have so much peace when I’m doing the work of deconstruction. It is saving me, it’s healing me in more ways…” (35:42)
- Finding Peace in Living Authentically
- Embraced discomfort of starting over, healing childhood trauma, and letting go of shame.
6. Shame, Christianity, and Recovery
- Cycle of Shame in Addiction and Evangelicalism
- Recovery programs and churches often used shame and conditional acceptance as a method of control.
“Shame attacks who you are as a person ... in Christian nationalism, it’s the same cyclical cycle to keep you stuck in the movement.” (44:23)
- Recovery programs and churches often used shame and conditional acceptance as a method of control.
- Reframing Forgiveness and Identity
- Finds personal freedom outside religious frameworks that demand shame and rigid repentance.
7. Expanding Systemic Critique: Immigration & the Prison-Industrial Complex
- Connections Between Incarceration and Immigration Detention
- Modern expansion of for-profit detention centers echoes historic targeting and vilification of Black people.
“It vilifies and demonizes and hyper criminalizes an entire demographic of people ... it’s the politics of white supremacy.” (49:15, 51:36)
- Modern expansion of for-profit detention centers echoes historic targeting and vilification of Black people.
- Economic Incentives for Mass Incarceration/Detention
- Local economies in rural, mostly white areas benefit from constructing prisons and detention centers — acting as a form of “institutional welfare.”
8. Masculinity, Emotional Intelligence, and Redefining Identity
- Toxic Masculinity in Christian Nationalist Spaces
- Conservative influencers push a shallow, aggressive version of masculinity; emotional intelligence seen as weakness.
“One of the biggest things for men and what we need to be teaching young men is emotional intelligence.” (57:20)
- Conservative influencers push a shallow, aggressive version of masculinity; emotional intelligence seen as weakness.
- Authenticity and Confidence As Subversive
- Being secure in one’s identity, gender, or appearance is perceived as threatening.
“Someone else's definition of me doesn’t matter. If I know who I am, that’s it.” (62:31)
- Being secure in one’s identity, gender, or appearance is perceived as threatening.
9. Breaking Generational Racism and Bias
- Racism as Learned Behavior
- Shares childhood anecdotes illustrating how casual, generational racism is passed down.
“If you’re white and you grew up in the United States of America, you have some level of racism in you ... [it’s] a natural byproduct of being exposed to our institutions, our systems...” (75:45)
- Shares childhood anecdotes illustrating how casual, generational racism is passed down.
- Children’s Innate Innocence
- Children’s lack of racial prejudice demonstrated; contrasts with adults’ projections and suspicions.
10. Risks, Rewards, and Hope for the Future
- Costs of Speaking Out in MAGA Communities
- Social and financial risks are real; ostracization for anti-Trump views.
- Activism and Education
- Danny’s goals include public speaking, criminal justice reform, and possibly law school.
- Emphasizes changing hearts and minds, approaching conversations with patience and authenticity.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On White Privilege in Sentencing:
“When that judge sentenced you, he ... probably saw his son in you ... When that judge sentenced me, he looked at me as a thug, a savage...”
— Danny Collins (05:08) -
On the MAGA Movement:
“He made us feel safe in our mediocrity. You don’t have to learn anything new when you support Trump...”
— Danny Collins (14:20) -
On Deconstructing Belief:
“No matter what, like, I have so much peace when I’m doing the work of deconstruction. Like it, it is like saving me, it’s healing me in more ways...”
— Danny Collins (35:42) -
On Systemic Racism & Mass Incarceration:
“Either I have to think black people are inherently criminal ... or there is a system designed to deliberately target and keep a demographic of people oppressed.”
— Danny Collins (22:10) -
On Shame and Recovery:
“I see a lot of people who do that, who are Christians, who I know were drug addicts ... they’ve been so conditioned to believe that the only way they can forgive themselves for that is by accepting Jesus ... it’s like, no, you don’t.”
— Danny Collins (44:47) -
On Being Willing to Change:
“Being able to change your mind is one of the biggest tenets for the way I live now too. If you can present new information, you give me substance, I’m willing to learn.”
— Danny Collins (39:52) -
On Activism and Personal Risk:
“You gotta be so willing to give it all up ... you’re talking about, like, when it comes to privilege, you got to be willing to give up your privilege, your position, your power, your pocketbooks. ... most people aren't willing to go to that length.”
— Danny Collins (81:51)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:00–02:14 - Danny’s biography, addiction, and entry into prison
- 03:28–06:11 - Friendship with Black Muslim inmate; sentencing disparities
- 09:38–11:44 - Prison labor as modern slavery; 13th Amendment
- 12:03–16:12 - MAGA appeal, Trump’s narrative, and joining white supremacist group
- 17:33–25:21 - Systemic mass incarceration, reading The New Jim Crow
- 34:24–38:05 - Leaving MAGA, marriage and community loss
- 40:39–44:23 - Shame in addiction, Christianity, and recovery
- 49:15–53:24 - Parallels between mass incarceration and immigrant detention
- 57:20–63:40 - Masculinity, emotional intelligence, redefining self
- 75:45–77:42 - Generational racism; passing down of prejudice
- 81:12–86:53 - Community risk when opposing Trump; activism moving forward
- 92:32–93:53 - Where to find Danny’s work and closing remarks
Episode Tone & Takeaways
- Tone: Honest, raw, and deeply personal, with moments of humor, vulnerability, and passionate critique.
- Takeaway: Danny’s story is a testament to the power of education, meaningful cross-cultural relationships, and persistent self-examination. His transformation underscores the possibility for redemption and coalition-building in the fight against systemic injustice, even in the most unlikely circumstances.
Connect with Danny F. Collins
- Instagram/TikTok/Facebook: @DannyFCollins
- (Future platforms: Substack, YouTube)
“Show people how much you care before you tell them how much you know.”
— Danny Collins (87:43)
Listen to “Flipping Tables” for more on deconstructing evangelical beliefs, confronting American history, and staying engaged in the fight for justice.