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Dear Friend, One of the powerful lessons we must take away from this week’s coup attempt by President Trump and his supporters is that 2021 is not a time for half measures in the fight against hate and extremism. Yes, Wednesday began with hope. The results of the Senate runoff elections in Georgia offered proof that the South can help lead the way into a new political era. But the events at the U.S. Capitol reminded us of the racist violence that continues to threaten our country. This violence is bolstered by the infrastructure of white nationalist movements that the Southern Poverty Law Center has been tracking and fighting for decades. The images from Wednesday’s coup attempt will be seared into people’s memories. Extremists stormed Capitol Hill and incited a riot that resulted in five deaths, including the killing of a Capitol Police officer who physically engaged with rioters as he attempted to secure the building. The mob of Trump’s supporters endangered the lives of thousands as they flew the Confederate flag – a symbol of racism and violence that did not even enter the halls of Congress during the Civil War. This attempted coup on our democracy comes as no surprise since white nationalist groups have been energized by Trump since he was a presidential candidate. The weeks of planning that went into this attack underscore why organizations like the SPLC, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, remain critical in the fight against hate and extremism. We will remain vigilant in 2021, ensuring that the necessary actions are taken to put an end to this siege that Trump has both unveiled and advanced. There is simply no way to overstate the gravity of what took place in the Capitol this week. While these extremists failed in their mission to prevent the counting of Electoral College votes, this attack can – and will – become a recruitment tool for white nationalist movements across the country and around the world. This nationally coordinated coup attempt revealed highly organized networks of white supremacist organizations, extending beyond the Capitol and into statehouses around the U.S. that have been the target of protests. Unsurprisingly, statehouses in the South – a region with high populations of communities of color – have been particularly targeted. These hate groups, emboldened by the president, pose a direct threat to the lives of millions of Black and Indigenous people, as well as other people of color around the country. They will not go away after President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration. In the face of hate, we must transform We also must realize that the violence in Washington was predictable and preventable. In 2019, the number of white nationalist groups identified by the SPLC rose for the second straight year, a 55% increase since 2017. Given the severity of the issue, in 2020, the SPLC published recommendations for confronting hate and threats to our democracy. There are a number of steps the federal government can take to combat white nationalism and its threat to our political systems, transform institutions that reflect dangerous ideologies and rebuild trust in our democracy. Sincerely, Margaret Huang
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