Dear John,

There has been a massive, nationwide surge of antisemitic, racist and anti-LGBTQ+ fliers, stickers, posters and banners. Read ADL’s new report on white supremacist propaganda during 2020 to see how these extremists are using increasingly visible incidents to spread fear and hate — and why we need your help now, more than ever.

Propaganda from extremist groups

The new report on white supremacist propaganda revealed a national average of 14 incidents per day, reaching an all-time high in our tracking data and nearly double the cases recorded in 2019. This included an alarming 68% increase in propaganda targeting Jews or Jewish institutions.

White supremacists appear to be more emboldened than ever, and the election, the pandemic and other factors may have provided additional impetus to share their hateful message. ADL found that at least 30 known white supremacist groups were behind hate propaganda efforts in 2020; the Texas-based Patriot Front was the most active group across many states. The new report includes a link to an interactive map that shows where the propaganda distribution took place. You can update that map view to zoom in on the state where you live.

The barrage of propaganda documented in the report ranged from bluntly hateful language to veiled messages with a patriotic slant, which are part of an effort to normalize white supremacists’ messages.

HOW TO COMBAT THE SPREAD OF EXTREMIST PROPAGANDA

In response to the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol by insurrectionists and the overall increase in domestic terrorism, ADL recently announced the PROTECT Plan to mitigate this threat while protecting civil liberties. PROTECT is a comprehensive plan that, more than any one policy or law, provides a whole-of-society bipartisan strategy to significantly counter domestic terrorism.

If you witness extremist propaganda, you should immediately report it to local law enforcement and alert ADL using our incident reporting platform. You can also show solidarity with those targeted and encourage public officials in your area to condemn the propaganda as an act of hate.

I encourage you to read the new report on this surge in white supremacist propaganda, and to join ADL as a vigilant champion against hate in your community.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Greenblatt

CEO and National Director

ADL