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White Supremacy and Its Damaging Hold on the United States
Brandi Marlin, Gender Studies, Email: bmm1024@sru.edu
Introduction
On August 25th, 2020, President Trump appointed Chad Wolf
Homeland Security Secretary. A few months later, Director
Wolf released the annual Homeland Threat Assessment that
stated, “Among Domestic Violent Extremists,
racially and ethnically motivated
violent extremists- specifically
white supremacist extremistsWill remain the most persistent
and lethal threat in the Homeland.”
This statement came only a month
after President Trump told his
administration, specifically the
department of Homeland Security, to downplay the threat of
white supremacist groups. While President Trump may have
been trying to downplay the threat of these groups, it is
important to understand that the danger is real, as reiterated in
a recent FBI report by Trump appointee Wray.
Most Powerful Groups
• Patriot Front: founded in 2017 after “Unite the Right” rally
in Charlottesville, Virginia. They split from another
extremist group, Vanguard America, after months of
tension and disagreement within the organization. The
group portrays themselves as Americans proud of their
past and of a European culture, but their ideology aligns
with white supremacist ideas, particularly that of wanting a
white ethnostate. The group came into the spotlight in
March of 2021 when the Anti-Defamation League found
that 80% of white supremacy propaganda distributed
across the United States can be traced back to Patriot
Front.
• Proud Boys: established in mid-2016, President Trump’s
election year. The founder, Gavin McInnes, and its
members insist it is an “anti-political correctness” and
“anti-white guilt” group. However, the group is very
commonly linked to white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and
anti-Muslim rhetoric. The group gained attention in 2017 at
the “Unite the Right” rally and more recently came into
national spotlight in 2020 by President Trump at a debate.
When asked to condemn white supremacy,
Trump did not do so directly and told groups,
specifically, the Proud Boys, to “stand back
and stand by.” The next day the group
created a new logo and merchandise
Using this phrase.
Scope and Numbers
Since 2014, the number of hate groups in the United States
has been on the rise. The number of groups peaked in 2018
at 1,020 before dropping to 940 in 2019 and 838 groups in
2020.
It can be difficult to track membership in these organizations,
which may not include supporters and sympathizers who are
not members. What we know is that white supremacist
ideologies in America have not diminished but strengthened
since 2016. The Internet has fostered growth, and some
groups have merged to increase their resources and numbers.
Overall, there has been a 55% increase in white nationalist
groups and a 43% increase in anti-LGBTQ groups. With more
members, resources, and increasingly sophisticated
recruitment, these groups present a real danger to our
nation.
Actions
In 2019 there were 7,103 hate crimes recorded by the FBI. This
number does not include unreported hate crimes. There were
51 fatal attacks, and it was the third year in a row with hate
crimes totaling over seven thousand. The hate demographics
for these crimes can be seen in the graphic in the following
column. Data on hate crimes has yet to be released for 2020,
but there were many incidents of hate crimes and extremism
recorded by the news, and in t 2021, the insurrection at the
Capitol is perhaps the most familiar – to date
• On July 11th, 2020,
Garon Archer was arrested
for trying to attack multiple
people at a Black Lives Matter
Rally in Tennessee. Archer is
a known member of League of
the South, which is a
neo-Confederate and white
nationalist group.
• On October 8th, 2020, 13 people were charged in an alleged
domestic terror plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor Gretchen
Whitmer. The plan was to not only overthrow Whitmer but
several other states’ governments. Seven of these people
are associated with the militia group “Wolverine Watchmen”.
This group has heavy anti-government rhetoric as well as
other extremist ideas.
• On January 6th, 2021, insurrections stormed the Capitol.
This riot damaged thousands of dollars in government
property, injured 14 people, and killed 6 more. Extremist and
white supremacist groups like the Three Percenters, Oath
Keepers, and Proud Boys were represented widely. There
were also specific ideologies represented there by flags and
apparel such as “Release the Kraken,” Kekistan flag, racism
, anti-Semitism, anti-immigrant, and white power.
Advocacy Steps
• Understand that if you are a white person, you have
privilege
• Know that you have internal and implicit biases, and work
to recognize and then unlearn them
• Consider your news sources. Are they reliable and
unbiased? Seek news from multiple sources to educate
yourself about white supremacist movements
• Listen to Black advocates
• Attend protests and sign petitions
• Buy from business that hold the same values as you
References
Neilson, Susie, and Morgan McFall-Johnsen. “Several Groups of Extremists Stormed the Capitol on Wednesday. Here Are Some of the Most Notable Individuals, Symbols, and Groups.” Insider, Business Insider, 6 Jan. 2021, 8:23
pm, www.businessinsider.com/hate-symbols-and-extremist-groups-at-the-us-capitol-siege-2021-1.
Simon, Mallory, and Sara Sidner. “Decoding the Extremists Symbols and Groups at the Capitol Hill Insurrection.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 Jan. 2021, 10:07 am, www.cnn.com/2021/01/09/us/capitol-hill-insurrectionextremist-flags-soh/index.html.
Barrouquere, Brett. “Ex-League of the South Member Arrested at Black Lives Matter Rally in Tennessee.” Southern Poverty Law Center, 15 July 2020, www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/07/15/ex-league-south-member-arrestedblack-lives-matter-rally-tennessee.
Carrega, Christina. "13 Charged In Plot To Kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer". CNN, 2021,https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/08/politics/fbi-plot-michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer/index.html.
Geneva Sands, CNN. "Trump To Nominate Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf To Top Role". CNN, 2021,https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/25/politics/chad-wolf-homelandsecurity-secretary/index.html.
"Hate Crime Statistics". Justice.Gov, 2021, https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics.
"Hate Map". Southern Poverty Law Center, 2021, https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map.
"Homeland Threat Assessment October 2020". Homeland Security, 2021, https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/2020_10_06_homeland-threat-assessment.pdf. Accessed 5 Apr 2021.
MacFarquhar, Neil et al. "Far-Right Group That Trades In Political Violence Gets A Boost". Nytimes.Com, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/proud-boys-trump.html.
News, ABC. "One Arrest Made As White Nationalist Rally Tightly Controlled By Cops". ABC News, 2021, https://abcnews.go.com/US/tennessee-towns-bracing-upcomingwhite-nationalist-rallies/story?id=50766204.
"Patriot Front". Southern Poverty Law Center, 2021, https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/patriot-front.
"Proud Boys". Southern Poverty Law Center, 2021, https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/proud-boys.
Sommerfeldt, Chris. "Trump Officials Told Staff To Downplay White Supremacy Threat, Russian Interference: The Whistleblower". MSN, 2021, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-officials-told-staff-to-downplaywhite-supremacy-threat-russian-interference-the-whistleblower/ar-BB18S8B2.
"US Hate Group Numbers Decline But Online Organizing Has Strengthened, Report Finds". The Guardian, 2021,https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/01/us-hate-groupsdecline-online-organizing-strengthened-report.
"White Supremacist Propaganda Spikes In 2020". Anti-Defamation League, 2021, https://www.adl.org/white-supremacist-propaganda-spikes-2020.
Wilson, Jason. "White Nationalist Hate Groups Have Grown 55% In Trump Era, Report Finds". The Guardian, 2021,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/white-nationalisthate-groups-southern-poverty-law-center.
Brandi Marlin, Gender Studies, Email: bmm1024@sru.edu
Introduction
On August 25th, 2020, President Trump appointed Chad Wolf
Homeland Security Secretary. A few months later, Director
Wolf released the annual Homeland Threat Assessment that
stated, “Among Domestic Violent Extremists,
racially and ethnically motivated
violent extremists- specifically
white supremacist extremistsWill remain the most persistent
and lethal threat in the Homeland.”
This statement came only a month
after President Trump told his
administration, specifically the
department of Homeland Security, to downplay the threat of
white supremacist groups. While President Trump may have
been trying to downplay the threat of these groups, it is
important to understand that the danger is real, as reiterated in
a recent FBI report by Trump appointee Wray.
Most Powerful Groups
• Patriot Front: founded in 2017 after “Unite the Right” rally
in Charlottesville, Virginia. They split from another
extremist group, Vanguard America, after months of
tension and disagreement within the organization. The
group portrays themselves as Americans proud of their
past and of a European culture, but their ideology aligns
with white supremacist ideas, particularly that of wanting a
white ethnostate. The group came into the spotlight in
March of 2021 when the Anti-Defamation League found
that 80% of white supremacy propaganda distributed
across the United States can be traced back to Patriot
Front.
• Proud Boys: established in mid-2016, President Trump’s
election year. The founder, Gavin McInnes, and its
members insist it is an “anti-political correctness” and
“anti-white guilt” group. However, the group is very
commonly linked to white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and
anti-Muslim rhetoric. The group gained attention in 2017 at
the “Unite the Right” rally and more recently came into
national spotlight in 2020 by President Trump at a debate.
When asked to condemn white supremacy,
Trump did not do so directly and told groups,
specifically, the Proud Boys, to “stand back
and stand by.” The next day the group
created a new logo and merchandise
Using this phrase.
Scope and Numbers
Since 2014, the number of hate groups in the United States
has been on the rise. The number of groups peaked in 2018
at 1,020 before dropping to 940 in 2019 and 838 groups in
2020.
It can be difficult to track membership in these organizations,
which may not include supporters and sympathizers who are
not members. What we know is that white supremacist
ideologies in America have not diminished but strengthened
since 2016. The Internet has fostered growth, and some
groups have merged to increase their resources and numbers.
Overall, there has been a 55% increase in white nationalist
groups and a 43% increase in anti-LGBTQ groups. With more
members, resources, and increasingly sophisticated
recruitment, these groups present a real danger to our
nation.
Actions
In 2019 there were 7,103 hate crimes recorded by the FBI. This
number does not include unreported hate crimes. There were
51 fatal attacks, and it was the third year in a row with hate
crimes totaling over seven thousand. The hate demographics
for these crimes can be seen in the graphic in the following
column. Data on hate crimes has yet to be released for 2020,
but there were many incidents of hate crimes and extremism
recorded by the news, and in t 2021, the insurrection at the
Capitol is perhaps the most familiar – to date
• On July 11th, 2020,
Garon Archer was arrested
for trying to attack multiple
people at a Black Lives Matter
Rally in Tennessee. Archer is
a known member of League of
the South, which is a
neo-Confederate and white
nationalist group.
• On October 8th, 2020, 13 people were charged in an alleged
domestic terror plot to kidnap Michigan’s governor Gretchen
Whitmer. The plan was to not only overthrow Whitmer but
several other states’ governments. Seven of these people
are associated with the militia group “Wolverine Watchmen”.
This group has heavy anti-government rhetoric as well as
other extremist ideas.
• On January 6th, 2021, insurrections stormed the Capitol.
This riot damaged thousands of dollars in government
property, injured 14 people, and killed 6 more. Extremist and
white supremacist groups like the Three Percenters, Oath
Keepers, and Proud Boys were represented widely. There
were also specific ideologies represented there by flags and
apparel such as “Release the Kraken,” Kekistan flag, racism
, anti-Semitism, anti-immigrant, and white power.
Advocacy Steps
• Understand that if you are a white person, you have
privilege
• Know that you have internal and implicit biases, and work
to recognize and then unlearn them
• Consider your news sources. Are they reliable and
unbiased? Seek news from multiple sources to educate
yourself about white supremacist movements
• Listen to Black advocates
• Attend protests and sign petitions
• Buy from business that hold the same values as you
References
Neilson, Susie, and Morgan McFall-Johnsen. “Several Groups of Extremists Stormed the Capitol on Wednesday. Here Are Some of the Most Notable Individuals, Symbols, and Groups.” Insider, Business Insider, 6 Jan. 2021, 8:23
pm, www.businessinsider.com/hate-symbols-and-extremist-groups-at-the-us-capitol-siege-2021-1.
Simon, Mallory, and Sara Sidner. “Decoding the Extremists Symbols and Groups at the Capitol Hill Insurrection.” CNN, Cable News Network, 11 Jan. 2021, 10:07 am, www.cnn.com/2021/01/09/us/capitol-hill-insurrectionextremist-flags-soh/index.html.
Barrouquere, Brett. “Ex-League of the South Member Arrested at Black Lives Matter Rally in Tennessee.” Southern Poverty Law Center, 15 July 2020, www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/07/15/ex-league-south-member-arrestedblack-lives-matter-rally-tennessee.
Carrega, Christina. "13 Charged In Plot To Kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer". CNN, 2021,https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/08/politics/fbi-plot-michigan-governor-gretchen-whitmer/index.html.
Geneva Sands, CNN. "Trump To Nominate Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf To Top Role". CNN, 2021,https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/25/politics/chad-wolf-homelandsecurity-secretary/index.html.
"Hate Crime Statistics". Justice.Gov, 2021, https://www.justice.gov/hatecrimes/hate-crime-statistics.
"Hate Map". Southern Poverty Law Center, 2021, https://www.splcenter.org/hate-map.
"Homeland Threat Assessment October 2020". Homeland Security, 2021, https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/2020_10_06_homeland-threat-assessment.pdf. Accessed 5 Apr 2021.
MacFarquhar, Neil et al. "Far-Right Group That Trades In Political Violence Gets A Boost". Nytimes.Com, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/30/us/proud-boys-trump.html.
News, ABC. "One Arrest Made As White Nationalist Rally Tightly Controlled By Cops". ABC News, 2021, https://abcnews.go.com/US/tennessee-towns-bracing-upcomingwhite-nationalist-rallies/story?id=50766204.
"Patriot Front". Southern Poverty Law Center, 2021, https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/patriot-front.
"Proud Boys". Southern Poverty Law Center, 2021, https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/group/proud-boys.
Sommerfeldt, Chris. "Trump Officials Told Staff To Downplay White Supremacy Threat, Russian Interference: The Whistleblower". MSN, 2021, https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-officials-told-staff-to-downplaywhite-supremacy-threat-russian-interference-the-whistleblower/ar-BB18S8B2.
"US Hate Group Numbers Decline But Online Organizing Has Strengthened, Report Finds". The Guardian, 2021,https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/01/us-hate-groupsdecline-online-organizing-strengthened-report.
"White Supremacist Propaganda Spikes In 2020". Anti-Defamation League, 2021, https://www.adl.org/white-supremacist-propaganda-spikes-2020.
Wilson, Jason. "White Nationalist Hate Groups Have Grown 55% In Trump Era, Report Finds". The Guardian, 2021,https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/18/white-nationalisthate-groups-southern-poverty-law-center.