Friend,
Last year was challenging yet transformative for our nation and our
communities. Together, we faced new barriers in the fight against hate
and bigotry brought on by the coronavirus pandemic and an energized
anti-democratic hate movement.
With your help, the Southern Poverty Law Center expanded its work for
justice and equity, supporting the rights and dignity of those most
harmed by COVID-19 and its rippling social and economic effects. And
we wholeheartedly turned our focus to the systems of oppression that
affect ourselves and our society.
During 2020, we welcomed new leadership who are guiding our internal
transformation and paving the way for more effective, innovative
efforts. The results of those efforts are here, and we're so
excited to share our 2020 Impact Report with you!
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Confronting Hate and Extremism
The SPLC has tracked hate groups and domestic extremists'
activities for four decades. We found that the events of 2020 -
a deadly global pandemic, racial justice protests and fraudulent
claims about the presidential election - were used as
opportunities for hatemongers to sow racial division, circulate
propaganda and recruit members.
Here are the results of our work combating hate by the numbers.
* We identified 1,404 hate groups and anti-government groups.
* 168 Confederate monuments and symbols were removed from public
spaces.
* Our Sounds Like Hate podcast, which investigates hate in modern
America, was downloaded 179,282 times.
* Intelligence Project materials, which report on hate and
extremism, received 18.7M+ page views.
Additionally, we testified before Congress on alarming incidents of
white supremacy in the U.S. armed forces. We alerted poll workers and
state election officials to threats posed by extremists to intimidate
voters and disrupt the election process ahead of the presidential
election and Senate runoffs in Georgia. We defended conversion therapy
bans from attacks by anti-LGBTQ hate groups and held hate groups
accountable for their harassment and violence through innovative legal
action. And, in partnership with American University's
Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab (PERIL), we
provided free resources designed to help caregivers, educators, and
others recognize and respond to radicalization in the COVID-19
era.
Voting Rights and Civic Engagement
The South has been historically overlooked as a viable national
political organizing force, a perception that changed for many in
2020. The region is home to some of the most robust and transformative
change movements in our nation's history. To effectively counter
the structural racism and other forms of oppression in this region,
we're heavily investing in building capacity for democratic
organizing and civic participation.
Here are the results of our work on voting rights and civic engagement
by the numbers.
* $12M provided to grassroots Get Out the Vote efforts in five
Deep South states.
* 7,425 voters contacted through Vote Your Voice efforts.
* 100K+ students participated in social justice projects made
possible by SPLC funding.
* 1.4M+ voters contacted through the efforts of SPLC's
Ballot Cure Program.
* 53,000+ media stories citing SPLC research and advocacy.
We sued Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana to ensure equitable access
to the ballot amid COVID-19 and onerous absentee voter restrictions
that harmed Black voters, high-risk voters, voters with disabilities,
low-propensity voters, membership organizations and voter engagement
organizations. We increased the capacity of 40 civic engagement
organizations with $12 million in Vote Your Voice initiative grants
for grassroots mobilization activity. And, we halved the absentee
ballot rejection rate in the Georgia elections compared to the June
primary by contacting 7,425 voters in Georgia whose ballots would
otherwise be rejected for procedural errors.
Equity, Justice and COVID-19
During 2020, the pandemic laid bare longstanding systemic racism and
exacerbated an already severe wealth gap. The spread of COVID-19 and
its rippling economic and social consequences disproportionately
harmed the communities we work alongside for equity and justice. We
quickly mobilized, leveraging our resources to address critical needs
during this national crisis.
Here are the results of our work on equity, justice and COVID-19 by
the numbers.
* 19,000+ incarcerated people received information on CARES Act
stimulus benefits.
* 91 active cases currently being litigated.
* 41 new lawsuits filed.
* 115,880 educators joined our online network.
* 24.5M page views of Learning for Justice material.
* 190,000+ participants in the SPLC's in-person and online
professional learning through Learning for Justice.
* 140 people in detention granted bond or parole.
We granted $2 million to fund over 604,000 meals to help families in
the Deep South, putting food on tables amidst increased unemployment
and shelter-in-place orders. We informed over 19,000 people
incarcerated in Deep South states about benefits available to them
through the CARES Act stimulus. We protected access to housing,
utilities, unemployment allowances, stimulus benefits and other public
services, and helped abate wealth-based discrimination in the justice
system. And, we nearly doubled the online audience of Learning for
Justice from 157,638 to 273,518 - helping educators navigate
difficult but necessary classroom discussions on American racism and
police violence after the tragic killings of Black men and women at
the hands of police and vigilantes.
Together, we are working to build the world that we imagine -
one in which every person can thrive. And we are pushing forward, not
slowing down. Your partnership sustains our momentum and ensures that
the SPLC will continue as an effective vehicle for the change we wish
to see.
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Thank you for helping us make a real difference in the lives of those
we serve.
Sincerely,
The Southern Poverty Law Center
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Southern Poverty Law Center
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