Surge in white supremacist propaganda was recorded in 2021. Which states had the most?
White supremacist propaganda remained at historic levels throughout 2021, and several states stood out for having the highest cases of racist, antisemitic and hateful messages, a new study by the Anti-Defamation League says.
Racist propaganda was at its second-highest level since the ADL began tracking data, with 2020 having the most cases at 5,125 reported nationwide. In 2021, about 4,745 incidents were reported.
“In 2021, white supremacists used propaganda to spread hate, promote themselves, attack their perceived enemies and present themselves as victims of an ‘anti-white’ society. In some cases, they used current events to legitimize their hateful views,” the study said, citing the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
The ADL tracked propaganda distributions and noticed “a surge of antisemitic hate fliering” in January and February of 2021.
The study, released March 3, also found that there was a 27% increase in antisemitic hate messaging from 2020.
“White supremacists more frequently are resorting to hate propaganda as a tactic to spread their noxious ideas and recruit new membership,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a news release. “It’s particularly disturbing that at a time of when violent antisemitic assaults are on the rise, these groups are dialing-up their hateful rhetoric against Jews and canvassing entire communities with hate literature. This is an alarming trend that needs to be checked, now.”
A recent report found that 2021 was the worst year for antisemitism globally in a decade, The Times of Israel reported.
According to the report, religious festivals that led to clashes in Israel, as well as pandemic lockdown restrictions being lifted, could have contributed to the numbers.
The states with the highest levels of activity were Pennsylvania with 473 reported cases, Virginia with 375 and Texas with 327, the ADL reported.
Propaganda was reported in every state except Hawaii, the study said. The study also included Washington, D.C., which ranked 35th overall.
States with the lowest cases also included New Mexico, Alaska and North Dakota. See how your state ranks below.
Although the study counted at least 38 white supremacist groups actively distributing hate messaging throughout the year, three groups were responsible for 91% of the activity, the study said.
One Texas-based group was responsible for over 82% of the national total, the study said.
Additionally, there were over double the amount of white supremacist events in 2021 than in 2020. However, COVID-19 lockdowns may be a reason for the lower numbers in 2020.
“Antisemitic and racist propaganda has shock value but limits the risk of individual extremists’ exposure,” Oren Segal, Vice President of ADL’s Center on Extremism, said in the release. “It’s disturbing that white supremacists and antisemites can mobilize supporters quickly to target neighborhoods in multiple states. This activity is more coordinated than ever before, often incubated and amplified online, and communities need to be prepared.”
