Number of Hate Groups in U.S. Increase

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Number of Hate Groups in U.S. Increase

February 22nd, 2016

Awake Goy

Data show an increase in hate groups in the U.S. from 784 in 2014 to 892 in 2015.

Data show an increase in number of hate groups in the U.S. from 784 in 2014 to 892 in 2015.

The number of hate groups in the U.S increased 14% from 2014 to 2015. This was the first increase in five years and the amount of increase was almost unprecedented. Political rhetoric and use of the internet accounted for much of the increase.

These are the conclusions of Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), an organization that monitors hate groups and extremists in the U.S. and publishes an annual count of such groups. Hate groups are defined by SPLC as “organizations that attack people on central characteristics such as race, sexual orientation, and religion.” Data in SPLC’s recently released Year in Hate and Extremism showed the number of hate groups in the U.S. increased from 784 in 2104 to 892 in 2015.

It is noted in the report that two types of hate groups grew most rapidly in 2015. These were groups connected to the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) and black separatist activists or black supremacists. KKK chapters in the U.S. more than doubled from 72 to 190 from 2014 to 2015. Except for 2010, that was the largest number of KKK chapters since 2000. Black separatist groups grew from 113 to 180 during that same time period, largely because of the Black Lives Matter movement. It was the highest number of black activists groups since 2000. According to SPLC, two events incited the increases in KKK and black activists groups. One was controversy over flying the Confederate battle flag after it was linked to the killing of nine black people in a S.C. church; the other was scrutiny of police violence against young black men.

There was also a 14% increase in “patriot” groups – groups that are not necessarily violent or racist, but are strongly anti-government. Those groups increased from 874 in 2014 to 998 in 2015. Organizations classified as anti-gay, anti-immigrant, and anti-Muslim saw small increases.

SPLC concludes that its 2015 count is likely an underestimate since extremists are turning more and more to the internet to communicate anonymously. Since the organization derives its data from groups’ pamphlets, leaflets, rallies, posted notices of meetings and other observable events and documents, internet communications escape SPLC attention. Also, more people are becoming radicalized online, apart from any group.

Officials at SPLC attribute the increase in hate groups to several factors including national attention of fatal encounters between law enforcement and blacks, debates about immigration, Islamic terrorism, and economic pressures faced by white middle-class Americans.

Mark Potok, author of the report, said, “It [2015] was a year marked by very high levels of political violence and enormous rage in the electorate. Our politicians should have worked to defuse this anger and bring us together as a nation.”