The rate of hate crimes in the United States is skyrocketing

friend,

We are facing a matter of great urgency. The number of reported hate crimes in the United States is skyrocketing. Hate has no place in our communities, and hate crimes threaten the very fabric of the diverse and inclusive society we hold dear. That’s why we must continue to lead the charge against the rising tide of bias-motivated violence in our country.

This month, we are raising awareness of hate crimes and the prevention measures we must take to curb these attacks.

But we cannot do this without your support.

The SPLC has been at the forefront of combating hate and extremism for over 50 years, fueled by the support of people like you. We’ve monitored hate groups and published nationally recognized reports for communities and government officials, won legal battles against white supremacists and provided resources for educators to promote diversity, equity and inclusion in schools.

Still, the recent statistics on hate crimes are deeply troubling.

The latest FBI crime report documented the highest number of hate crimes ever recorded in the U.S., increasing 11.6% from 2020 to 2021. More than 60% of the victims were targeted due to their race. However, we are still missing vital data that can help paint a more accurate picture of the violence driven by hate.

2021 was the first time the FBI required every agency to report all crimes, including hate crimes, through its National Incident-Based Reporting System. Many jurisdictions were either unable or unwilling to report through the new system. This resulted in dramatically incomplete reporting and a lack of data from many major population centers.

Our dedicated policy team at the SPLC works with lawmakers to advocate for legislation to prevent hate crimes. These policy recommendations are critical to our work in fighting back against hate and extremism in the U.S.

• Make Hate Crime Reporting Mandatory: We’re calling on lawmakers to enact legislation that requires local agencies to collect and report hate crimes so that we can better understand the problem and create meaningful solutions to counter it.
  
  
• Fund Prevention Initiatives: We’re pressing federal agencies to establish and fund programs to build community resiliency against hate and empower adults to help steer young people away from violent extremism.
  
  
• Speak Out Against Hate and Extremism: We’re pushing elected officials, advocates and business leaders to use their public platforms to condemn hate crimes, including threats to HBCUs and violence against houses of worship.

Additionally, our Learning for Justice program equips educators and communities with the necessary tools to teach young people the truth about our country’s history, both good and bad. Censoring topics such as Black history and gender identity does not protect our students but rather makes them susceptible to misinformation and far-right propaganda. Learning for Justice’s award-winning program remains an essential resource for many schools across the nation.

Our work cannot be done without your dedicated support. That is why we are asking you to help us by making a special gift today.

Your donation sends a powerful message that hate has no place in our society and that we will do everything we can to seek justice in the Deep South and beyond.

Thank you for your support.

In solidarity,

The Southern Poverty Law Center

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