SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: 2022 THE YEAR IN HATE AND EXTREMISM COMES TO YOUR SCHOOL
2022 The Year in Hate and Extremism Comes to Main Street
https://www.splcenter.org/year-hate-extremism-2022/introduction
In 2022, SPLC documented 1,225 hate and anti government extremist groups across the United States. Extremist ideas that mobilize these groups now operate more openly in the political mainstream. But the ascent of the hard right is not inevitable. We can push back against this rising authoritarianism and turn the tide.
Here is a summary of 2022 the year in hate and extremism comes to main street:
- The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) released its annual report on hate and extremism in the US, revealing the growing threat of extremist activity to national security and democracy¹².
- The report identified **733 hate and 488 anti-government groups** actively operating across the US, a decrease from previous years but not a sign of diminished hate and extremism².
- Instead, hate and extremism have gone mainstream, infecting the national and political dialogue and coalescing into a broader movement that is both threatening democracy at the community level and embracing violence as a means to achieve white supremacist goals².
- The report highlighted the January 6, 2021 insurrection as the culmination of years of right-wing radicalization and the attempt to rewrite the history of that day and evade accountability for the violence as a sign of the gravity of the problem².
- The report also documented how extremist actors — often armed — brought hatred into daily lives and public spaces, protesting LGBTQ inclusion, reproductive rights and classroom discussions of systemic racism¹.
- The report provided a wide range of policy recommendations to counter racism, antigovernment extremism and hate groups in America, such as enforcing current laws against private militias and political intimidation, protecting every citizen’s right to vote, holding the planners and perpetrators of the January 6 attack accountable, and speaking out against hate, racism, extremism and attacks on voting and democratic institutions².
- The report also designated 12 new groups as extremist groups, including Moms for Liberty, an anti-government group that opposes mask mandates, critical race theory and LGBTQ rights in schools³.
ASSAULT ON INCLUSIVE EDUCATION AND HOW WE’RE FIGHTING BACK
2022 The Year in Hate and Extremism Comes to Main Street
https://www.splcenter.org/year-hate-extremism-2022/introduction
Inclusive education is under attack, and it's not just from the usual suspects. According to the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), hate and extremist groups are increasingly targeting public education with reactionary and exclusionary agendas. These groups claim to be fighting for parental rights, but in reality, they are opposed to inclusive education that respects the diversity and dignity of all students, especially those who are LGBTQ+, Black, Native, Indigenous, or have disabilities.
It's not hard to see why these groups are so threatened by inclusive education. After all, if students are taught to respect and value differences, then what use is there for hate and extremism? These groups use anti-LGBTQ, racist, and nationalist rhetoric to oppose curricula that teach about LGBTQ+ history, culture, and people; sex education; critical race theory; and social justice. They also try to influence school boards, policies, and legislation to restrict or prohibit discussing LGBTQ+ topics or to promote heteronormative and abstinence-only views.
But the SPLC argues that inclusive education is essential for creating a multiracial, inclusive democracy and for protecting the human rights of all people. Inclusive education not only benefits LGBTQ+ students and other marginalized groups but also fosters a safer and more positive learning environment for all students. Inclusive education also helps students develop critical thinking skills, cultural competence, empathy, and social responsibility.
So what can we do to fight back against this assault on inclusive education? The SPLC provides various resources and programs to support inclusive education and to combat hate and extremism in schools. These include the Intelligence Project, which monitors and exposes hate and extremist groups; the Learning for Justice program, which provides anti-bias and anti-racist curricula, training, and materials for educators; the litigation teams, which pursue legal action to protect the rights of LGBTQ+ students and other vulnerable groups; and the SPLC Action Fund, which advocates for progressive policies and legislation at the state and federal levels.
But we can't leave it all up to the SPLC. We all have a role to play in protecting inclusive public education. We can hold elected leaders accountable, start conversations about the impacts of racism and homophobia, and use the SPLC's guides and tools to prevent youth radicalization and to promote social change.
Inclusive education is not just a buzzword or a feel-good slogan. It's a fundamental principle of democracy and human rights. And it's worth fighting for. So let's roll up our sleeves, put on our thinking caps, and get to work. After all, there's nothing more powerful than an educated and inclusive society.
Returning to the Schoolhouse Steps, Extremist Groups’ Reactionary Anti-Student Inclusion Efforts2022 The Year in Hate and Extremism Comes to Main Street. https://www.splcenter.org/year-hate-extremism-2022/introduction.
SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER RELEASES ANNUAL YEAR IN HATE & EXTREMISM .... https://www.splcenter.org/presscenter/southern-poverty-law-center-releases-annual-year-hate-extremism-report-when-hate-goes.
SPLC designates Moms for Liberty an anti-government extremist group. https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/investigations/2023/06/06/splc-moms-for-liberty-anti-government-extremist-group/70289379007/.
Bing, 6/6/2023