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By Paul Horton.

Although advocacy groups like the United Daughters of the Confederacy have made statements disavowing any groups that promote hate, many white nationalist groups have come to the defense of the effort to keep Confederate monuments, symbols, and flags intact on public property in the face of public outcries in the wake of Dylan Roof’s murder of African American churchgoers in South Carolina and the Charlottesville protests and counter protests in the summer of 2017.

David Neiwert, an historian of contemporary right-wing movements in the United States, has called attention to the growing popularity of white nationalist groups that have coalesced into an “Alt-Right” movement that defends “white heritage” to promote white nationalism. According to Neiwert in his recent, Alt-America: The Rise of the Radical Right in the Age of Trump:

(Y)oung white nationalists not only forged alliances with more established movement ideologues, they also massively expanded the movement’s recruitment base by making the alt-right into something entirely new—largely organized online, openly transgressive and ant-liberal, deeply conspiracist, and capable of adapting its appeal to a wide range of audiences. The name ‘alt-right’ was developed with public relations in mind: it permitted the white nationalists who coined the term to soften their image while drawing in recruits from mainstream conservatism. (pages 242-3)

One of the most influential groups that made an effort to align white supremacy groups associated with the Klan and neo-Nazis was the Council of Conservative Citizens that included a dynamic cadre of young organizers called the League of the South.

Click on the link below to read more about the Council of Conservative Citizens and the League of the South and the participation of these and other groups in protests to prevent the removal of Confederate statues and flags and answer the questions below as you read.

The White Supremacist Group That Inspired a Racist ManifestoThe Atlantic (June 2015)

  1. Describe the origins of the Council of Conservative Citizens. Why was it referred to as the “uptown Klan”?
  2. What kind of information does the Council focus on at its website?
  3. How big is the CCC and why is its popularity growing?
  4. Why does the CCC defend Western or European civilization?
  5. How was murderer Dylan Roof associated with the CCC?
  6. Why have so many politicians raised money for the CCC?

The Southern Poverty Law Center tracks hate groups in the United States. Read their overview of the Council of Conservative Citizens to answer the following questions:

  1. What do members of the Council for Conservative Citizens believe?
  2. What was the purpose of the original White Citizens Councils?
  3. How did CCC’s meetings after 2000 resemble Rotary Club meetings?
  4. What is the evidence that suggests that Republicans have been associated with the CCC?
  5. How has the CCC’s ideology become increasingly crude after 1999?
  6. In what ways has the CCC become increasingly aligned with other hate groups?

The Southern Poverty Law Center also maintains a map of hate groups in the United States. View this map and answer the following questions:

  1. Where are most Klan groups located?
  2. Where are most neo-Nazi groups located?
  3. Where are most white nationalist groups located?
  4. Are there any geographical patterns that you can discern from your responses to questions 1-3?

The Southern Poverty Law Center compiles statistics on hate crime in the United States. Click on this report  and answer the following questions below:

  1. According to the SPLC Report on hate crimes following the 2016 election, what factors likely motivated the increased incidence of hate crimes?
  2. Review your responses to all of the questions above. Is there a direct link between the rise of hate groups and hate crimes? Why? Why not? Be specific.

Paul Horton
 is a History Instructor
 at University High School
 — The University of Chicago Laboratory Schools.

Featured image by Anthony Crider, used with Creative Commons license.

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Anthony Cody

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