Motivated by conspiracy theories rooted in hate
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| This work is needed now more than ever… Rj, For decades, the SPLC has been the premier organization tracking and exposing hate groups. Our most recent Year in Hate and Extremism Report revealed that this work is needed now more than ever. Last year, we saw Black, LGBTQ+ and Jewish people targeted in shocking acts of violence, many of them motivated by false conspiracy theories and toxic rhetoric rooted in hate. Jewish people and spaces are regularly harassed, assaulted, vandalized and threatened. In its latest hate crime report, the FBI found that antisemitic incidents rose 37% from 2021 to 2022 and were the highest number recorded since 1993. Our fight against antisemitism in the courts, in Congress and through grassroots organizing is now as urgent as ever. For over 50 years, the SPLC has worked to combat white supremacy and violence based on hate. In 2019, we won our lawsuit against neo-Nazi leader Andrew Anglin, who used his website to launch an antisemitic campaign of terror against a Jewish woman and her family. A federal judge ruled that Anglin must pay more than $14 million in damages. We’ve also seen a renewed use of “groomer” rhetoric that is fueling violence against LGBTQ+ people. In September, three LGBTQ+ events in the U.S. received bomb threats on the same weekend. In 2022, five people were murdered in the Club Q mass shooting in Colorado Springs, Colorado, simply because they were in an LGBTQ+ nightclub. In addition, anti-transgender extremists are targeting children’s hospitals and libraries – spaces that are integral to American communities. Further, far-right activists are working to eliminate accurate and inclusive public education, reflecting their desire to shape the next generation of Americans in the image of white Christian nationalism. The new FBI report also documented the highest number of race-based hate crimes since the agency began collecting data in 1990. On May 14, 2022, an 18-year-old white supremacist killed 10 Black people at a supermarket in Buffalo, New York. The killer left behind a digital footprint of propaganda showing he had come to believe in the “great replacement,” a racist and antisemitic conspiracy theory falsely asserting that Jews and liberal politicians are plotting to replace white populations in white-majority countries. This is a critical moment. We must scale up prevention measures aimed at reducing hate violence and make sure that every community across the country has access to them. Rj, will you make a special gift to the SPLC during Hate Crimes Awareness Month? Your gift will help broaden the impact of our anti-bias and radicalization-prevention resources, which are always provided to communities free of charge. Our anti-racism education and community-based, democracy-building initiatives are making a real difference. The SPLC’s Learning for Justice program and our trailblazing work with American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab help steer young people away from hate and violent extremism. These resources, and more, are available to view and share, free of charge. In solidarity, Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center | ||
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