Friend,
Our hearts are with the families of those killed and targeted in this
past weekend's racially motivated massacre of the Black
community of Buffalo, New York.
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As has now been widely reported, the attack in Buffalo was the direct
result of white nationalist propaganda, specifically the "great
replacement" conspiracy theory, being promoted and mainstreamed
by major public figures. This false notion - that white people
are being systematically replaced by Black people, immigrants and Jews
- has deep historical roots but has gained traction in recent
years. And with that traction has come violence, both physical and
political.
The SPLC's Intelligence Project, which tracks, monitors and
analyzes hate and extremism in our nation, has produced two new
reports since the Buffalo shooting:
* In "Disinfo Covers for White Supremacy After Buffalo
Attack
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," we detail how in the immediate aftermath of the
killings, online influencers hustled to spread false narratives
that ignored the overwhelming evidence showing this attack was
an act of white supremacist violence. These disinformation
campaigns are just the latest example of a long-term strategy by
the far right to deny or distort an alarming truth: White
supremacist violence has emerged as the predominant domestic
terrorism threat in our nation.
* In "The Racist 'Great Replacement' Conspiracy Theory
Explained
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," we trace the evolution of the deadly ideology at the
heart of the massacre in Buffalo: a racist conspiracy narrative
that falsely asserts there is an active, ongoing and covert
effort to replace white populations in current white-majority
countries. No longer on the fringe, this narrative now has
currency among some of the most powerful and influential actors
in right-wing media and politics.
We hope these two articles will help illustrate the true extent of the
problem at hand, especially to our leaders and powerful public
figures. Politicians and pundits must face serious consequences for
their irresponsible, inflammatory and incendiary rhetoric. Governments
must hold tech companies and digital media platforms accountable for
making meaningful changes to address online radicalization. We owe it
to the communities - like the Black community of Buffalo -
who often bear the burden of these violent attacks.
In solidarity,
The Southern Poverty Law Center
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