ADL’s New Interactive Map Illustrates Increase in Extremism and Hate Across U.S. Over Past Decade

  • August 9, 2018

Philadelphia, PA, August 9, 2018 … In advance of the first anniversary of the violent white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, VA, that shook the nation, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) today launched a first-of-a-kind interactive map detailing the rise in extremist and anti-Semitic incidents in the U.S. over the past decade. The map, found at www.adl.org/heat-map, is a visual reflection of select proprietary datasets developed by ADL experts in its Center on Extremism.

“It’s important to remember that extremist activity is not just confined to a historic town in Virginia, but rather an issue faced by communities every day across the country,” ADL CEO and National Director Jonathan Greenblatt said. “And despite reports to the contrary, the Alt-Right is not in decline but evolving their tactics and techniques. However, as extremists continue to spread hate and incite violence using any and all means that they can, ADL is committed to exposing their efforts and fighting to prevent the hate they aim to spread.”

“ADL has been raising the alarm about rising hate in the region for years, and our new interactive map provides an unique look at this disturbing phenomenon,” said Nancy K. Baron-Baer, Regional Director. “The map illustrates that, over the last decade, nearly every county in eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey and Delaware witnessed at least one act of hate. This is a sobering reminder that bigotry is not someone else’s problem – it is everyone’s problem.”

The map is accompanied by a report that evaluates the ways the white supremacist movement — and the “Alt-Right” in particular — has changed in the year since the Charlottesville and provides a full overview of the complicated current state of white supremacy. Among the trends observed, the Alt-Right has embraced podcasts as a way to reach followers. White supremacist podcast audiences are not large by the standards of mainstream podcasts but represent significant audiences for white supremacists. Some Alt-Right websites, such as The Right Stuff, run by Mike Peinovich (using the pseudonym “Mike Enoch”), are virtual networks that feature many Alt-Right podcasts, with the most popular having tens of thousands of subscribers.

Additionally, white supremacists have increased on-campus and off-campus propaganda efforts in the past year. Since the beginning of 2017, ADL’s Center on Extremism has tracked more than 900 white supremacist propaganda incidents, from distributions of white supremacist literature to display of white supremacist handbills, posters, and more. The 2017-18 school year saw a 77 percent increase of incidents on campus from the previous academic year, with 292 cases reported, compared to 165 in 2016-2017.

The initial data in the new map consists of more than 4,500 data points representing a range of extremist activities, including:

  • Extremist-related murders (2008-2017)
  • Terrorist plots and attacks (2002-2017)
  • Extremist shootouts with police (2008-2017)
  • White supremacist propaganda on and off campus (Fall 2016-Spring 2018)
  • White supremacist rallies (2017-2018)
  • Anti-Semitic incidents (2016-2017)

The map allows users to see how extremists have focused on different tactics over time, read details on specific incidents, compare activity by type and or state, and access and download raw data.

“As extremism and hate increases its reach, so too will our efforts to expose hate and extremism locally and nationally,” said George Selim, ADL’s Senior Vice President of Programs. “These resources are educational tools for all who are committed to fighting hate. We look forward to working with partners to strengthen our research and capabilities to prevent hate from spreading further.”

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ADL is the world’s leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of anti-Semitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education, and fighting hate online, ADL is the first call when acts of anti-Semitism occur. ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.

Source: Press Release
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