The Face of White Supremacy in 2017
June 12, 2017 Domestic Terrorism
TRADITIONAL WHITE SUPREMACIST ORGANIZATIONS ATTEMPT TO “REBRAND”
To appeal to new audiences susceptible to its radical messaging, the national white supremacist movement has tried to deemphasize hate symbols and attacks against non-white communities. These organizations have “rebranded” since at least last year, when they took a more high-profile role with conferences and rallies, official statements, and recruitment efforts.
On November 4, 2016, the National Socialist Movement (NSM), the major white supremacist umbrella group, declared its intent to stop using the swastika. NSM stated it has “every intention to bring our Party . . . into the halls of Government here in the United States, and to do that we must reach more of the public. The masses believe exactly as we do, but have steered clear of us due to our use of the swastika. Your Party Platform remains the same, your Party remains unchanged, it is a cosmetic overhaul only.”
To date, the website of the Loyal White Knights of the Ku Klux Klan denies it is a hate group and focuses messaging on the “love of the white race” and “restoring America to a White Christian nation.” The organization also claims it does not want to harm the “darker races” but “simply want[s] to live separate from them.”
Bookmarks