Friend,

In 2023, Mauricio Martinez Garcia opened fire in an Allen, Texas, mall, taking the lives of eight people before ending his own. When police searched his body, they saw a patch across his chest that read “RWDS,” an acronym for “Right Wing Death Squad.”

When they dug into his background, they discovered he was a neo-Nazi who, long before the shooting, wrote extensively on social media about his self-radicalization and fascination with white supremacy, antisemitism, mass shootings and misogyny.

This is just one example of many where online hate has gone unchecked and led to violent attacks that target people of color, immigrant communities, LGBTQ+ people, Jewish and Muslim Americans.

We know that hate cannot be prosecuted, legislated, regulated or tabulated out of existence, but together we can build progressive ecosystems that foster inclusive spaces and live out anti-racist values. Please help the SPLC fight back against hate and extremism this Hate Crimes Awareness Month and beyond by making a special gift before October 31.

When the number of hate crimes in the United States reaches an all-time high, we must stand up to protect our values and the fabric of our communities for the generations to come.

Extremists’ ability to connect and communicate with youth has rapidly expanded thanks to social media, online gaming, chats and other private online spaces. But for far too long, social media companies have done too little to track and disable threatening hate speech.

As the leading organization working to eradicate hate and extremism, we are working tirelessly to combat this epidemic on several fronts. Here are some of the things we’re doing to stop hate – online and off:

• Working with lawmakers to require local agencies to publish hate crime data;

• Holding social media companies and other platforms accountable to promote online safety;

• Demanding increased federal and state funding for civics education, digital and media literacy initiatives, conflict resolution programs and initiatives to reduce structural racism;

• Legally challenging discriminatory laws that target Black and Brown communities, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, Jewish people and Muslim communities;

• And collaborating with partners to publish comprehensive analyses that challenge hateful rhetoric and provide guidance to families on youth online radicalization prevention and more.

Friend, we are stronger only when we stand united against hate. As one of SPLC’s staunchest supporters, we are asking you once again – will you fight hate with us today by making a special gift in honor of Hate Crimes Awareness Month?

Thank you for your tireless advocacy.

With gratitude,

Southern Poverty Law Center