Hate groups were on the rise in 2016, and at least three operated in the Lehigh Valley, according to an annual report released this week by the Southern Poverty Law Center.
Nationwide, there were 917 hate groups last year, up from 892 in 2015, according to the Alabama-based organization which tracks such groups’ activities.
Three were identified in the Lehigh Valley in the SPLC’s 2016 report:
- Aryan Strikeforce, in Phillipsburg, classified as a racist skinhead group.
- Poker Face, a band in Allentown, classified as racist music.
- The Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ, in Allentown, classified as a black separatist group.
It was the second consecutive year of growth for hate groups, the report said. In general, anti-Muslim groups saw the biggest increase, from 34 in 2015 to 101 last year. The SPLC blamed “incendiary rhetoric” of President Donald Trump.
The report also found that antigovernment “patriot” groups dropped from 998 in 2015 to 623 last year. The SPLC says such militia-like movements in the past few decades usually flourish under Democratic presidencies.
History of the KKK in New Jersey
“2016 was an unprecedented year for hate,” said Mark Potok, senior fellow and editor of the SPLC’s “Intelligence Report” magazine, where the report was published. “The country saw a resurgence of white nationalism that imperils the racial progress we’ve made, along with the rise of a president whose policies reflect the values of white nationalists. In (Trump advisor) Steve Bannon, these extremists think they finally have an ally who has the president’s ear.”
During a news conference Thursday, Trump called himself “the least racist person” and has dismissed suggestions that his administration’s policies have fueled racist behavior.
Recently, white supremacist groups have posted fliers at Kutztown and Rutgers universities, and Ku Klux Klan recruitment papers have been found in at least three New Jersey towns.
Steve Novak may be reached at snovak@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @type2supernovak and Facebook. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
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