Friend,

Political violence is on the rise across the U.S.

We cannot let violent acts divide and destroy our democracy.

We are in a critical time for fighting hate and extremism. Extremists exploit times of national crisis and stress to further destabilize society, drive recruitment, spread propaganda and justify their violent actions.

That’s why the SPLC and the Polarization & Extremism Research & Innovation Lab (PERIL) have collaborated to provide crucial resources to those on the front lines building community resilience against extremism.

“The tremendous insecurity brought on by crises can make the kinds of simplistic solutions offered by far-right extremists more appealing,” said PERIL Director and Professor Cynthia Miller-Idriss. “For extremists, this is an ideal time to exploit youth grievances about their lack of agency, their families’ economic distress, and their intense sense of disorientation, confusion, fear and anxiety.”

This project has never been more important. In recent years, the SPLC’s Intelligence Project has tracked far-right extremists as they entered the political mainstream. Just this week, former Fox News Channel host Tucker Carlson was prominently featured at the Republican National Convention (RNC). Carlson played a leading role in propelling the “great replacement” conspiracy theory to mainstream audiences.

The great replacement theory has animated many white nationalists and extremists, inspiring terroristic mass shootings in Buffalo, New York; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; El Paso, Texas; and Christchurch, New Zealand, among others.

The FBI’s most recent Hate Crime Statistics Report documented the highest number of reported race-based crimes ever (6,570), including the highest number of crimes directed against Black people (3,424) since 2000.

It also reported the highest number of crimes targeting people and institutions because of their sexual orientation, gender identity and religion.

At a high-profile RNC speech this week, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said that Transgender Day of Visibility was part of a “fringe agenda” that “includes biological males competing against girls.” U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene commented, “And let me state this clearly, there are only two genders.”

At a time when violent, hateful rhetoric has become normalized, radicalization is something we all should be concerned about. Trusted adults play an important role as the first line of defense against youth radicalization. Please share our resources, free of charge, with anyone who can benefit from tools to effectively support and protect young people targeted by hateful actions and rhetoric.

Rejecting hate and fostering safe, inclusive communities is incredibly important right now. Thank you for your steadfast commitment to the SPLC and to our vision of a more just world where our children, grandchildren and future generations can thrive.

Sincerely,

Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center