68-503: The Christian Patriot movement is a subset of the broader American Patriot movement that promotes Christian nationalism and emphasizes it as its core goal and philosophy. Like the larger Patriot movement, it promotes an interpretation of American history in which the federal government has turned against the ideas of liberty and natural rights expressed in the American Revolution . The movement originally referred to
136-518: A 'white-only' IKA function". Two members of the Klan started calling Gruver, a 16-year-old boy of Panamanian descent, a " spic ". Subsequently, the boy, (5 feet 3 inches (1.60 m) and weighing 150 pounds (68 kg)) was beaten and kicked by the Klansmen (one of whom was 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 m) and 300 pounds (140 kg)). As a result, the victim received "two cracked ribs,
204-507: A Texas prison. The SPLC brought a civil suit on behalf of Billy Ray Johnson, a black, mentally disabled man, who was severely beaten by four white males in Texas and left bleeding in a ditch, suffering permanent injuries. In 2007, Johnson was awarded $ 9 million in damages by a Linden, Texas jury. At a criminal trial, the four men were convicted of assault and received sentences of 30 to 60 days in county jail. In November 2008,
272-701: A black U.S. Navy war veteran, was murdered by George Loeb, a member of the neo-Nazi "Church of the Creator" (now called the Creativity Movement ). SPLC represented the victim's family in a civil case and won a judgment of $ 1 million from the church in March 1994. The church transferred ownership to William Pierce , head of the National Alliance , to avoid paying money to Mansfield's heirs. The SPLC filed suit against Pierce for his role in
340-508: A broken left forearm, multiple cuts and bruises and jaw injuries requiring extensive dental repair." In a related criminal case in February 2007, Jarred Hensley and Andrew Watkins were sentenced to three years in prison for beating Gruver. On November 14, 2008, an all-white jury of seven men and seven women awarded $ 1.5 million in compensatory damages and $ 1 million in punitive damages to the plaintiff against Ron Edwards, Imperial Wizard of
408-756: A display of the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Alabama Judicial Building . Moore, who had final authority over what decorations were to be placed in the Alabama State Judicial Building's Rotunda, had installed a 5,280 pound (2,400 kg) granite block, three feet wide by three feet deep by four feet tall, of the Ten Commandments late at night without the knowledge of any other court justice. After defying several court rulings, Moore
476-490: A former chief of staff for former first lady Michelle Obama , to review and investigate any issues with the organization's workplace environment related to Dees' firing. The SPLC's activities, including litigation, are supported by fundraising efforts, and it does not accept any fees or share in legal judgments awarded to clients it represents in court. Starting in 1974, the SPLC set aside money for its endowment stating that it
544-645: A group of civil rights marchers. There were a hundred Klan members carrying "bats, ax handles and guns". A black woman, Bernice Brown, was shot and other marchers were violently attacked. In Brown v. Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan , filed in 1980 in the USDC Northern District of Alabama, the SPLC sued the Invisible Empire, Knights of the Ku Klux Klan on behalf of plaintiffs, Brown and other black marchers. The civil suit
612-978: A nationwide campaign of assassinations and bombings targeting Morris Dees and his Southern Poverty Law Center in Alabama as well as the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles, the Anti-Defamation League in New York, an undisclosed federal judge in Illinois and a black radio show host in Missouri. The Southern Poverty Law Center has initiated a number of civil cases seeking injunctive relief and monetary awards on behalf of its clients. The SPLC has said it does not accept any portion of monetary judgments. An early SPLC case
680-446: A new headquarters building from 1999 to 2001. In 1984, Morris Dees became an assassination target of The Order , a revolutionary white supremacist group. By 2007, according to Dees, more than 30 people had been jailed in connection with plots to kill him or to blow up SPLC offices. In 1995, four men were indicted for planning to blow up the SPLC headquarters. In May 1998, three white supremacists were arrested for allegedly planning
748-557: A peak in 1996, contained around 800 separate groups. It saw decline in the late 1990s. In 2009, the SPLC expressed concern about a resurgent patriot movement, and the Department of Homeland Security issued a report warning of heightened "Rightwing Extremism". The SPLC attributed this growth to "an angry backlash against non-white immigration and ... the economic meltdown and the Presidency of Barack Obama ." It reported
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#1732782580949816-749: A preliminary injunction against the Klan, requiring them to cease intimidating, threatening, or harassing the Vietnamese. McDonald eventually found the TER and Beam liable for tortious interference , violations of the Sherman Antitrust Act , and of various civil rights statutes and thus permanently enjoined them against violence, threatening behavior, and other harassment of the Vietnamese shrimpers. The SPLC also uncovered an obscure Texas law "that forbade private armies in that state". McDonald found that Beam's organization violated it and hence ordered
884-532: Is known for its legal cases against white supremacist groups, for its classification of hate groups and other extremist organizations, and for promoting tolerance education programs. The SPLC was founded by Morris Dees , Joseph J. Levin Jr., and Julian Bond in 1971 as a civil rights law firm in Montgomery. In 1980, the SPLC began a litigation strategy of filing civil suits for monetary damages on behalf of
952-551: The Charity Accountability section of the Better Business Bureau. In July 1983, the SPLC headquarters was firebombed , destroying the building and records. In February 1985, Klansmen Joe M. Garner and Roy T. Downs Jr., along with Klan sympathizer Charles Bailey, pleaded guilty to conspiring to intimidate, oppress and threaten members of black organizations represented by SPLC. The SPLC built
1020-498: The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other law enforcement agencies. Since the 2000s, the SPLC's classification and listings of hate groups (organizations that "attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics") and anti-government extremists are widely relied upon by academic and media sources. The SPLC's listings have also been criticized by those who argue that some of
1088-1111: The GuideStar Gold Seal of Transparency, which is given to organizations that voluntarily share their financials and "highlight their commitment to inclusivity to gain funders' trust and support." SPLC previously earned GuideStar's Platinum Seal of Transparency, but did not retain it. In 2023 , CharityWatch initially gave SPLC a grade of B based on its 2021 financials. CharityWatch, however, downgrades all charities that "hoard" donations, which per CharityWatch's definition occurs whenever "a charity's available assets in reserve exceeds three years' worth its annual budget." In particular, CharityWatch automatically "downgrades to an F rating any charity holding available assets in reserve equal to 5 years or more of its annual budget." In accordance with this policy, on 3 February 2023 CharityWatch downgraded SPLC from B to F because it had 7.3 years of available assets in reserve, it spent 68% of its funds on programs, and it cost $ 20 to raise $ 100. The SPLC declined to submit information or be evaluated by
1156-571: The Montgomery Advertiser , the SPLC had received "significant financial support" with revenues almost "$ 122 million and total assets of $ 492.3 million", as of September 30, 2018. For the fiscal year ending October 31, 2021, SPLC reported revenue of $ 133 million and total assets of $ 801 million, including $ 770 million in investments. Prior to his departure in 2019, Dees' "role at the Center was focused on 'donor relations' and "expanding
1224-635: The Posse Comitatus , a far-right militia organization . The Posse Comitatus followed an ideology based on the teachings of William Potter Gale , who was also a Christian Identity minister, and the majority of the Christian Patriot movement's members still adhere to Christian Identity's white supremacist views . This ideology holds the view that state and federal governments are agents of an arcane conspiracy to deprive Americans of their rights as " sovereign citizens ." It also holds
1292-740: The United States District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina . The harassment and threats continued during litigation and the court issued an order prohibiting any person from interfering with others inside the courthouse. In January 1985, the court issued a consent order that prohibited the group's "Grand Dragon", Frazier Glenn Miller Jr. , and his followers from operating a paramilitary organization, holding parades in black neighborhoods, and from harassing, threatening or harming any black person or white persons who associated with black persons. Subsequently,
1360-484: The death penalty in the US. Dees asked civil rights leader Julian Bond to serve as president, a largely honorary position; he resigned in 1979 but remained on the board of directors until his death in 2015. In 1979, Dees and the SPLC began filing civil lawsuits against Ku Klux Klan chapters and similar organizations for monetary damages on behalf of their victims. The favorable verdicts from these suits served to bankrupt
1428-474: The sovereign citizen movement , whose adherents believe that most US laws are illegitimate and do not apply to them. Groups identifying with the movement include: Southern Poverty Law Center The Southern Poverty Law Center ( SPLC ) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation . Based in Montgomery, Alabama , it
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#17327825809491496-684: The "largest-ever civil award for damages in a hate crime case." In September 2000, the SPLC won a $ 6.3 million judgment against the Aryan Nations via an Idaho jury who awarded punitive and compensatory damages to a woman and her son who were attacked by Aryan Nations guards. The lawsuit stemmed from the July 1998 attack when security guards at the Aryan Nations compound near Hayden Lake in northern Idaho, shot at Victoria Keenan and her son. Bullets struck their car several times, causing
1564-632: The "release of tens of thousands of people in ICE custody" if ICE cannot provide protection for vulnerable inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic . The federal court injunction was filed as part of an existing class-action lawsuit regarding conditions in ICE facilities. In 2018, The SPLC filed suits related to the conditions of incarceration for adults and juveniles. In March 2019, the SPLC fired founder Morris Dees for undisclosed reasons and removed his profile from
1632-494: The 1980s American farm crisis . As various policies combined to drive farmers deeply into debt, groups on the margins of American politics engaged rural communities with a range of conspiracy theory literature that drew on existing traditions of antisemitism , nativism and paleoconservatism . The Posse Comitatus , the Liberty Lobby and Lyndon LaRouche were prominent in these campaigns which informed and shaped
1700-527: The 2019-20 election cycle. [1] As of 2023 , based on figures from Fiscal Year 2022, Charity Navigator rated the SPLC four out of four stars, with an overall score of 99/100 for "Accountability & Finance". The missing point was due to SPLC failing to post a "Donor Privacy Policy" on its website. SPLC's 2022 revenue totaled $ 140,350,982, and its expenses amounted to $ 111,043,025. According to Charity Navigator's Historical Ratings, SPLC has earned four-star ratings since 2019. As of 2023 , SPLC has earned
1768-477: The Center began its Klanwatch project to monitor the activities of the KKK. That project, later called Hatewatch , was later expanded to include seven other types of hate organizations. In 1986, the entire legal staff of the SPLC, excluding Dees, resigned as the organization shifted from traditional civil rights work toward fighting right-wing extremism. In 1989, the Center unveiled its Civil Rights Memorial , which
1836-539: The Center's financial resources". The SPLC's related 501(c)(4) organization, the SPLC Action Fund, formed two political action committees in 2022: New Southern Leaders federal PAC and the New Southern Majority federal Super PAC. The New Southern Leaders PAC spent more than $ 21,000 in 2023-24, most going to the SPLC Action Fund, which spent more than $ 1,000,000 in independent expenditures in
1904-640: The Decatur confrontation of 1979. In 1981, the SPLC took Ku Klux Klan leader Louis Beam 's Klan-associated militia, the Texas Emergency Reserve (TER), to court to stop racial harassment and intimidation of Vietnamese shrimpers in and around Galveston Bay . The Klan's actions against approximately 100 Vietnamese shrimpers in the area included a cross burning , sniper fire aimed at them, and arsonists burning their boats. In May 1981, U.S. District Court judge Gabrielle McDonald issued
1972-472: The KKK and other targeted organizations. According to a 1996 article in The New York Times , Dees and the SPLC "have been credited with devising innovative legal ways to cripple hate groups, including seizing their assets." Some civil libertarians said that SPLC's tactics chill free speech and set legal precedents that could be applied against activist groups which are not hate groups. In 1981,
2040-455: The Klan. According to Chalmers, "[b]eginning with the Decatur street confrontation, the SPLC's Klanwatch began suing various Klans in federal court for civil rights violations", and as a result, the Klan lost credibility and its resources were depleted. As a result of the SPLC, the FBI reopen their case against the Klan, and "nine Klansmen were eventually convicted of criminal charges" related to
2108-743: The Ku Klux Klan. In 2011, the SPLC was "involved in high-profile state fights", including the battle over the Georgia House Bill 87 (HB 87). The SPLC joined with the ACLU , the Asian Law Caucus , and the National Immigration Law Center in June 2011, to file a lawsuit challenging HB 87. which resulted in a permanent injunction in 2013 blocking multiple provisions of the law. In 2013, "Teaching Tolerance"
Christian Patriot movement - Misplaced Pages Continue
2176-511: The SPLC happened on my watch, so I take responsibility for them." In early February 2020, Margaret Huang , who was formerly the Chief Executive at Amnesty International USA , was named as president and CEO of the SPLC. Huang replaced Karen Baynes-Dunning, a former juvenile court judge, who had served as interim president and CEO since April 2019, after founder Morris Dees was fired in March 2019. The SPLC had appointed Tina Tchen ,
2244-559: The SPLC voted to unionize, with 142 in favor and 45 against. The SPLC had "long been dogged by accusations of internal discrimination against minority employees, particularly in the area of promotions." A new president and CEO, Margaret Huang, was named in early February 2020. More recently, the SPLC and the ACLU have been involved in "battles over the treatment of inmates in the state's prisons", including an emergency request in April 2020 for
2312-424: The SPLC website. In a statement regarding the firing, the SPLC announced it would be bringing in an "outside organization to conduct a comprehensive assessment of our internal climate and workplace practices." Following the dismissal, a letter signed by two dozen SPLC employees was sent to management, expressing concern that "allegations of mistreatment, sexual harassment, gender discrimination, and racism threaten
2380-785: The SPLC's case against the Imperial Klans of America (IKA), the nation's second-largest Klan organization, went to trial in Meade County, Kentucky . The SPLC had filed suit for damages in July 2007 on behalf of Jordan Gruver and his mother against the IKA in Kentucky. In July 2006, five Klan members went to the Meade County Fairgrounds in Brandenburg, Kentucky , "to hand out business cards and flyers advertising
2448-489: The SPLC's listings are overbroad, politically motivated, or unwarranted. The organization has also been accused of an overindulgent use of funds, leading some employees to call its headquarters "Poverty Palace". The Southern Poverty Law Center was founded by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph J. Levin Jr. in August 1971 as a law firm originally focused on issues such as fighting poverty, racial discrimination and
2516-447: The SPLC, ADL, and the FBI . Descriptions of the patriot movement include: Additionally, the patriot movement has been associated with the following views: Elements of the patriot movement have expressed support for various conspiracy theories : In addition to the militia movement, which is said to have come out of the patriot movement, the patriot movement is often associated with
2584-524: The TER to close its military training camp. In 1982, armed members of the Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan terrorized Bobby Person, a black prison guard, and members of his family. They harassed and threatened others, including a white woman who had befriended blacks. In 1984, Person became the lead plaintiff in Person v. Carolina Knights of the Ku Klux Klan , a lawsuit brought by the SPLC in
2652-541: The U.S.-Mexico border region near his Hebbronville ranch, settled with an $ 100,000 out-of-court settlement. According to the New York Times , since neither Nethercott or Foote defended themselves, the "judge issued default judgments of $ 850,000 against Mr. Nethercott and $ 500,000 against Mr. Foote. Neither men had "substantial assets" so Nethercott's 70-acre (280,000 m ) ranch—Camp Thunderbird—which had also served as Ranch Rescue's headquarters—was seized to pay
2720-484: The U.S.-Mexico border. In April 2005, SPLC obtained judgments totaling $ 1 million against Casey James Nethercott, who was then Ranch Rescue 's leader and the owner of an Arizona ranch, Camp Thunderbird, Joe Sutton, who owned the Hebbronville ranch on which two illegal immigrants has been caught trespassing on March 18, 2003, and Jack Foote, the founder of Ranch Rescue. Sutton, who had recruited Ranch Rescue to patrol
2788-540: The United States to attend college. In October 1990, the SPLC won a civil case on behalf of Seraw's family against WAR's operator Tom Metzger and his son, John, for a total of $ 12.5 million. The Metzgers declared bankruptcy, and WAR went out of business. The cost of work for the trial was absorbed by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) as well as the SPLC. As of August 2007 , Metzger still makes payments to Seraw's family. In May 1991, Harold Mansfield,
Christian Patriot movement - Misplaced Pages Continue
2856-463: The United States, the patriot movement is a term which is used to describe a conglomeration of non-unified right-wing populist and nationalist political movements , most notably Right-wing armed militias , sovereign citizens , and tax protesters . Ideologies held by patriot movement groups often focus on anti-government conspiracy theories, with the SPLC describing a common belief that "despise
2924-625: The car to crash. An Aryan Nations member held the Keenans at gunpoint. As a result of the judgment, Richard Butler turned over the 20-acre (81,000 m ) compound to the Keenans, who sold the property to a philanthropist. He donated the land to North Idaho College , which designated the area as a "peace park". In 2002, the SPLC and the American Civil Liberties Union filed suit ( Glassroth v. Moore ) against Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore for placing
2992-585: The court dismissed the plaintiffs' claim for damages. Within a year, the court found Miller and his followers, now calling themselves the White Patriot Party , in criminal contempt for violating the consent order. Miller was sentenced to six months in prison followed by a three-year probationary period, during which he was banned from associating with members of any racist group such as the White Patriot Party. Miller refused to obey
3060-783: The crimes of individual members to help produce a $ 7 million judgment for the victim's mother. The verdict forced United Klans of America into bankruptcy . Its national headquarters was sold for approximately $ 52,000 to help satisfy the judgment. In 1987, five members of a Klan offshoot, the White Patriot Party , were indicted for stealing military weaponry and plotting to kill Dees. The SPLC has since successfully used this precedent to force numerous Ku Klux Klan and other hate groups into bankruptcy. On November 13, 1988, in Portland, Oregon , three white supremacist members of East Side White Pride and White Aryan Resistance (WAR) fatally assaulted Mulugeta Seraw , an Ethiopian man who came to
3128-820: The federal government and/or question its legitimacy." The movement first emerged in 1994 in response to what members saw as "violent government repression" of dissenting groups, along with increased gun control and the Clinton administration . Several groups within the patriot movement have committed or endorsed violence, with U.S. law enforcement agencies labeling some groups "dangerous, delusional and sometimes violent." The ADL and The American Scientific Affiliation has noted that groups often have connections to white supremacy , however, their connections to it have shrunk over time due to their recent inclusion of non-white members. Major events in America which alarm or inspire
3196-507: The fraudulent scheme and won an $ 85,000 judgment against him in 1995. The amount was upheld on appeal and the money was collected prior to Pierce's death in 2002. The SPLC won a $ 37.8 million verdict on behalf of Macedonia Baptist Church , a 100-year-old black church in Manning, South Carolina , against two Ku Klux Klan chapters and five Klansmen (Christian Knights of the Ku Klux Klan and Invisible Empire, Inc.) in July 1998. The money
3264-911: The group, and Jarred Hensley, who participated in the attack. Together with the ACLU National Prison Project , the SPLC filed a class-action suit in November 2010 against the owner/operators of the private Walnut Grove Youth Correctional Facility in Leake County, Mississippi , and the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDC). They charged that conditions, including under-staffing and neglect of medical care, produced numerous and repeated abuses of youthful prisoners, high rates of violence and injury, and that one prisoner suffered brain damage because of inmate-on-inmate attacks. A federal civil rights investigation
3332-486: The growth of patriot groups with an increase from 149 in 2008, to 824 in 2010, to 1,274 in 2011 and 1,360 in 2012. According to the SPLC, the "explosive growth seems to have been driven by the election of our first black president and the approaching loss of a white majority in the U.S. that he represents. Another driver is the crash of the economy, which coincided neatly with the rise to national power of President Obama." The SPLC found that while "there are many people" in
3400-472: The ideology of the movement that emerged. In the early 1990s, the patriot movement saw a surge of growth spurred by the confrontations at Ruby Ridge and Waco. The 1995 Oklahoma City bombing was carried out by two patriot movement members, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols . During the 1990s the movement organized using "gun shows and the Internet". The movement was highly active in the mid-1990s and at
3468-556: The judgment and surrendered to the two illegal immigrants from El Salvador , Edwin Alfredo Mancía Gonzáles and Fátima del Socorro Leiva Medina. SPLC staff worked also with Texas prosecutors to obtain a conviction against Nethercott for possession of a gun, which was illegal for a felon. Nethercott had served time in California for assault previously. As a result, he was sentenced to serve a five-year sentence in
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#17327825809493536-551: The moral authority of this organization and our integrity along with it." One former employee wrote that the "unchecked power of lavishly compensated white men at the top" of the SPLC contributed to a culture which made black and female employees the targets of harassment. A week later, President Richard Cohen and legal director Rhonda Brownstein announced their resignations amid the internal upheaval. The associate legal director Meredith Horton quit, alleging concerns regarding workplace culture. Cohen said, "Whatever problems exist at
3604-568: The movement, Jerad Miller and Amanda Miller , killed two police officers and a civilian during a violent shooting rampage in Las Vegas after leaving the Bundy standoff; they pinned a note to one of their victims saying "This is the beginning of the revolution." Various patriot movement aligned groups have frequently been described as racist , xenophobic , extremist , antisemitic , anti-Islam , anti-immigrant , and violent by groups such as
3672-583: The patriot movement "that aren't engaged in illegal activity," the "normalizing of conspiracy theories"—such as the belief that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is building concentration camps ; rumors of covert plans by Mexico to reconquer the American Southwest ; and the anxiety Sharia law might become part of the U.S. court system—has played into the growth of the groups. An extremist member of
3740-493: The patriot movement carried out the 2009 anti-abortion murder of George Tiller , and some extremists within the movement also have expressed support for Joseph Stack's 2010 plane crash into an Internal Revenue Service office. The movement was connected to and received a boost in profile from the 2014 Bundy standoff and 2016 occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge . Two members of
3808-412: The patriot movement include the 1992 Ruby Ridge siege , the 1993 Waco siege and the 1995 Oklahoma City Bombing . The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) found that the economic decline and nomination of Barack Obama in 2008 caused the movement to "come roaring back", after declining from 800 groups in 1996 to less than 150 groups in 2000. Historians of the patriot movement identify its origins in
3876-838: The suspicions of Christian Patriots. The movement maintained its ties with the American militia movement of the same period. A highly publicized federal confrontation with Christian Patriots occurred in 1996, when Federal marshals arrested the Montana Freemen . In 2009, the Southern Poverty Law Center said that militia groups may be experiencing a "Patriot revival." Patriot movement Defunct Newspapers Journals TV channels Websites Other Economics Gun rights Identity politics Nativist Religion Watchdog groups Youth/student groups Miscellaneous Other In
3944-475: The terms of his probation. He made underground "declarations of war" against Jews and the federal government before being arrested again. Found guilty of weapons violations, he went to federal prison for three years. In 1987, Dees and Michael Figures won a case against the United Klans of America for the lynching of Michael Donald , a black teenager in Mobile, Alabama . The SPLC used an unprecedented legal strategy of holding an organization responsible for
4012-478: The victims of violence from the Ku Klux Klan . The SPLC also became involved in other civil rights causes, including cases to challenge what it sees as institutional racial segregation and discrimination, inhumane and unconstitutional conditions in prisons and detention centers, discrimination based on sexual orientation , mistreatment of illegal immigrants , and the unconstitutional mixing of church and state . The SPLC has provided information about hate groups to
4080-408: The view that this conspiracy can be undermined through various legal pleadings from English common law and other sources, such as a motion protesting the way a defendant's name is typeset in a legal complaint. The ideology persists despite numerous court rulings that have declared its theories frivolous . The movement grew during the 1990s after the Ruby Ridge and Waco Sieges appeared to confirm
4148-456: Was Sims v. Amos (consolidated with Nixon v. Brewer ) in which the U.S. District Court for the Middle of Alabama ordered the state legislature to reapportion its election system. The result of the decision, which the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed, was that fifteen black legislators were elected in 1974. In 1979, the Klan began a summer of attacks against civil rights groups, beginning in Alabama. In Decatur, Alabama , Klan members clashed with
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#17327825809494216-434: Was "convinced that the day [would] come when non-profit groups [would] no longer be able to rely on support through mail because of posting and printing costs". The Los Angeles Times reported that by 2017, the SPLC's financial resources "nearly totaled half a billion dollars in assets". For 2018, its endowment was approximately $ 471 million per its annual report and SPLC spent 49% of its revenue on programs. According to
4284-401: Was awarded stemming from arson convictions; these Klan units burned down the historic black church in 1995. Morris Dees told the press, "If we put the Christian Knights out of business, what's that worth? We don't look at what we can collect. It's what the jury thinks this egregious conduct is worth that matters, along with the message it sends." According to The Washington Post the amount is
4352-444: Was cited as "of the most widely read periodicals dedicated to diversity and social justice in education". In 2016, the SPLC's "ranks swelled" and its "endowment surged" after US President Donald Trump was elected, resulting in the hiring of 200 new employees. In March 2019, founder Morris Dees was fired. In April, Karen Baynes-Dunning was named as interim president and CEO. After a "tumultuous year", in mid-December 2019, staff at
4420-451: Was designed by Maya Lin . In 1995, the Montgomery Advertiser won a Pulitzer Prize recognition for work that probed management self-interest, questionable practices, and employee racial discrimination allegations in the SPLC. The Center's "Teaching Tolerance" project was initiated in 1991. In 2008, the SPLC and Dees were featured on National Geographic ' s Inside American Terror explaining their litigation strategy against
4488-459: Was eventually removed from the court and the Supreme Court justices had the monument removed from the building. In 2003, the SPLC, the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund , and local attorneys filed a civil suit, Leiva v. Ranch Rescue , in Jim Hogg County, Texas , against Ranch Rescue, a vigilante paramilitary group and several of its associates, seeking damages for assault and illegal detention of two illegal immigrants caught near
4556-411: Was settled in 1990 and "required Klansmen to pay damages, perform community service, and refrain from white supremacist activity." Chalmers wrote in Backfire , that the Klan had been in serious decline since the end of the 1970s. He described the "Klan summer of 1979", as a "catastrophe" for the Klan, as the SPLC's newly established Klanwatch, which became a "powerful weapon" that "tracked and litigated"
4624-447: Was undertaken by the United States Department of Justice . In settling the suit, Mississippi ended its contract with GEO Group in 2012. Additionally, under the court decree, the MDC moved the youthful offenders to state-run units. In 2012, Mississippi opened a new youthful offender unit at the Central Mississippi Correctional Facility in Rankin County. The state also agreed to not subject youthful offenders to solitary confinement and
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