Hate Groups and Extremism in Alabama: A Disturbing Report

Masked men identifying themselves as the white supremacist group Patriot Front protest a Prattville pride picnic on Saturday, June 24, 2023Photo byAlabama Political Reporter

Last year, the Southern Poverty Law Center Year in Hate & Extremism report identified 13 active hate and anti-government extremist organizations in Alabama.

Although Alabama doesn't have as many hate groups as some other Southern states, individuals in the state encountered threats, flyers, protests, and assemblies that aimed to target people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, Jewish communities, and other religious minorities.

“It is imperative that we preserve and strengthen our democracy, and that means preventing anti-democracy forces from dividing us from one another. When extremists attack one community, they’re hoping to drive wedges between that group and all others,” said Margaret Huang, CEO and president of SPLC.

The report indicated that 120 instances of hate flyers being distributed occurred in Alabama, and there were 12 efforts to prohibit 74 titles from public libraries. Last June, the first Pride picnic in Prattville was disrupted by masked Patriot Front members who displayed hate signs and chanted slogans.

A lawsuit between the Autauga-Prattville Public Library and former Director Andrew Foster was recently settled, following the director's termination in March, which stemmed from a yearlong dispute over the library's leadership and available materials.

In May, hate slogans were painted on a road sign on Interstate 65 near Clanton by white nationalists associated with Patriot Front. The second annual neo-Confederate conference in Wetumpka took place in August and featured speakers from white nationalist groups advocating for anti-Black eugenics. In October, bomb threats were made against Jewish places of worship in Montgomery, Dothan, Auburn, Mobile, and Birmingham.

Hate group activities often result in intimidation, harassment, and violence, frequently targeting marginalized communities and institutions such as libraries, schools, and hospitals.

The report highlighted a record number of hate and anti-government groups across the country. The number of active hate groups saw a historic increase, rising from 523 to 595, and the number of anti-government extremist groups rose from 702 to 835.

R.G. Cravens, senior research analyst for SPLC’s Intelligence Project, said the actions they have tracked “show a strategy of targeting the very idea of inclusive civil society.”

“Theories about LGBTQ plus and reproductive health care, immigrants and inclusive education were operationalized by far-right groups and used to fuel these campaigns of intimidation, harassment and fear,” Cravens said.

The report underscored the prevalence of extremist activities in the southern region of the United States, mirroring national trends. States like Florida and Georgia have seen a significant increase in hate group activities encompassing actions such as book bans, hate crimes, and attacks on marginalized communities. California stood out as the state with the highest number of hate and anti-government groups at 117, which was attributed to its large population size. Following closely behind was Florida, with 114 such groups.The report revealed a notable rise in the existence of white nationalist and anti-LGBTQ+ groups, seemingly influenced by the growing prevalence of hard-right ideology in mainstream political discourse.

These groups, as outlined in the report, are becoming more structured and less inclined to compromise, thereby increasing the risk of violent incidents.Of particular concern in the report was the increasing threat posed by male supremacist organizations, especially those focusing on reproductive rights. Some anti-abortion factions were classified as hate groups due to their actions aimed at restricting bodily autonomy and imposing penalties on women seeking abortions. The SPLC identified four groups advocating for the criminalization of abortion, equating the procedure with murder under all circumstances.

“We are also expanding our research into male supremacy, and this is a belief that cisgender men are innately superior to people of other gender and gender identities, and is their right to subjugate women, trans people, non-binary people,” said Cassie Miller, senior research analyst at SPLC’s Intelligence Project.

Rep. Ernie Yarbrough, R-Trinity, introduced what he initially called an “abortion-as-murder” bill in 2023, which could have criminalized pregnant people with murder. The bill was not considered by the Legislature. He also distributed signed copies of a book called “The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates,” written by Rev. Matthew Trewhella, a minister who signed a statement in 1993 justifying the murder of an abortion provider, at the end of the 2023 session.

He also introduced an anti-immigration bill this year that would have allowed local law enforcement agencies to arrest undocumented immigrants. The bill moved out of committee but was not considered on the House floor.

A message seeking comment was left with Yarbrough.

The study delved into the emergence of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR), a religious group gaining prominence within right-wing circles. The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) characterizes the NAR's beliefs as supremacist and warns against those who challenge its ideology, viewing them as a significant threat to democratic principles.

According to Joe Wiinikka-Lydon, a senior analyst at the SPLC's Intelligence Project, the NAR promotes a strategic initiative known as "The Seven Mountain Mandate." This initiative outlines seven focal points essential to NAR followers, encompassing family dynamics, religious institutions, educational systems, media platforms, cultural and artistic expressions, commercial enterprises, and government structures.

“The NAR is not just interested in conquering mountains, such as government. They want to conquer the mountain of religion and be the supreme religion over all others, including other Christian denominations and traditions,” said Wiinikka-Lydon.