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A NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE PUBLICATION STATEOFBLACKAMERICA.ORG CONFRONTING THE THREAT WITHIN 2023ABOUT THE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE The National Urban League is a historic civil rights and urban advocacy organization. Driven to secure economic self-reliance, parity, power and justice for our nation’s marginalized populations, the National Urban League works toward economic empowerment and the elevation of the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. Founded in 1910 and headquartered in New York City, the National Urban League has improved the lives of more than three million people each year nationwide through direct service programs run by 92 affiliates serving 300 communities in 37 states and the District of Columbia. The National Urban League also conducts public policy research and advocacy work from its Washington, D.C., bureau. The National Urban League is a BBB-accredited organization and has earned a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, placing it in the top 10% of all U.S. charities for adhering to good governance, fiscal responsibility, and other best practices. PUBLISHER Marc H. Morial MANAGING DIRECTOR Tara Thomas EXECUTIVE EDITOR Teresa Candori RESEARCH PARTNER Southern Poverty Law Center EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Michael Tomlin-Crutchfield SENIOR EDITOR Dr. Silas Lee CREATIVE DIRECTOR Rhonda Spears Bell DESIGN Untuck 03 About State of Black America ® 04 From the President’s Desk 06 Confronting the Threat Within 12 Our Contributors 14 A Coalition Against Extremism 15 National Urban League Affiliates TABLE OF CONTENTS NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE ABOUT STATE OF BLACK AMERICA ® Since its first appearance in 1976 under the stewardship of the late Mr. Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., the organization’s fifth president, the State of Black America ® remains one of the most highly- anticipated benchmarks and sources for thought leadership around racial equality in America. The report explores the inequities across America’s economics, employment, education, health, housing, criminal justice, and civic participation systems through research and the words of our contributors. Each edition contains penetrating commentary and insightful analysis from recognized authorities and leading figures in politics, the corporate and tech sectors, the nonprofit arena, academia, and popular culture. In the 47th edition of the State of Black America Democracy In Peril: Confronting the Threat Within , we are raising the alarm around the explosive growth of far-right and domestic extremism and the threat it poses to our communities, our families, and our nation. After the dismantling of Jim Crow and the freedoms won during the Civil Rights Movement, some of the most violent forms of white supremacy began to go underground throughout America. But in recent years, dangerous rhetoric that emboldens racists and incites violence has moved from the dark web into mainstream politics. Far-right extremists advocating for the erasure of our civil liberties are infiltrating our military ranks, law enforcement, political system, and classrooms under the guise of “parents’ rights.” The racist ideologies supporting this movement can also be tied to the increase in hate crimes, mass shootings, and police brutality, claiming lives in communities of color every day. In partnership with the Southern Poverty Law Center, we have quantified the increase in racial violence, outlined the effects of hateful rhetoric on public attitudes around our political system, and tracked the growing domestic threat of white supremacists infiltrating our law enforcement and our military ranks. We also leveraged data from UCLA Law’s Anti-CRT legislative tracking project, CRT Forward, which tracks laws across the country that are attempting to block, edit, and rewrite American history. Our contributing authors reflect on the aftermath of last year’s racially-motivated mass murder in Buffalo, New York, that claimed the lives of 10 African-Americans, address the increased threat to our Democracy and way of life posed by these extremists, and outline how the federal government and civil rights organizations are fighting this threat. We can no longer afford to minimize this movement by painting the actions of violent extremists as isolated incidents and protecting hate speech from far-right politicians by invoking the same freedoms they seek to limit for other Americans. The time to act is now. To access the 2023 State of Black America suite of offerings—including author essays, data, expert analysis, and a ready- for-download version of this executive summary—head to the State of Black America website. STATEOFBLACKAMERICA.ORG SCAN TO READ THE FULL REPORT 3At least three members of the current U.S. Congress have promoted a conspiracy theory centered on a cabal of Satan-worshiping, cannibalistic, child abusers that includes Democratic politicians, Hollywood actors and business tycoons. The leaked membership of a violent anti-government militia group that led the January 6 th Insurrection included 81 people who either held or were running for public office in 2022, 373 believed to be serving in law enforcement, and 117 believed to be active-duty military. FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK JUNE 2, 2003 Marc H. Morial, former two-term mayor of New Orleans, becomes the first elected official to hold the office of President and CEO of the National Urban League. 20032005 2006 Launch of Project Ready, a comprehensive program to prepare high school students for college, work, and life. MAY 2004 Ebony magazine honors Morial as one of the 100+ Most Influential Black Americans. AUGUST 15, 2007 Publication of Opportunity Compact: Blueprint for Economic Equity, detailing policy recommendations to empower all Americans. MARCH 24, 2004 Inaugural Legislative Policy Conference opens with release of the first State of Black America ® report to include the Equality Index ™ —a tool to compare the social and economic status of Black and white Americans. OCTOBER 18, 2005 Morial’s testimony before the House Judiciary Committee, a key element of the Urban League’s successful advocacy for reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. OCTOBER 14, 2005 Katrina Bill of Rights, establishes a framework for protecting and aiding Gulf Coast residents working to rebuild after Hurricane Katrina. JULY 27, 2003 Morial outlines the 5-point Empowerment Agenda: Education & Youth, Economic Empowerment, Health & Quality of Life, Civic Engagement, and Civil Rights & Racial Justice, during the National Urban League Conference in Pittsburgh. as president of the national urban league since 2003, Marc Morial has been the primary catalyst for an era of change and a transformation for the 100-plus-year-old civil rights organization. His energetic and skilled leadership has expanded the League’s work around an empowerment agenda, which is redefining civil rights in the 21st century with a renewed emphasis on closing the economic gaps between whites and Blacks as well as rich and poor Americans. This timeline recognizes 20 years of President Morial’s commitment to the National Urban League movement and the progress of Black America. 4 2023 STATE OF BLACK AMERICA ® DEMOCRACY IN PERIL: CONFRONTING THE THREAT WITHIN MARC H. MORIAL PRESIDENT & CEO, NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE Restrictions on teaching the history of slavery and the Civil Rights Movement have grown so stringent that students planning a Black History Month in Alabama could not include events prior to 1970. The 18-year-old white supremacist who opened fire in a Buffalo supermarket, killing 10 people and wounding three, was motivated by belief in the “Great Replacement” conspiracy theory foolishly promoted by media figures. The mainstreaming of extremist ideology is an existential threat to American democracy, the rule of law, and decades of hard-won progress toward an equitable, inclusive, more perfect union. No longer limited to passing out mimeographed leaflets on street corners or huddling in corners of the dark web, conspiracy-mongers and white nationalists openly spew their bile across social media and cable television. They weave it into the public policy they impose on their constituents. It corrodes the trust between police and the military and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. Using data and analysis from our research partners, Southern Poverty Law Center, ADL, and UCLA Law, this year’s State of Black America ® reveals just how deeply extremist ideology has seeped into America’s most vital institutions, resulting in an ever-rising tide of deadly violence, oppressive laws, and weaponized racial polarization. In the wake of the Buffalo massacre, the National Urban League and other social justice organizations urged President Biden to convene a summit to confront violent extremism and develop a whole-of-society response. The United We Stand Summit in September marked the first step on that journey. It cannot be the last. 20232010 MARCH 6, 2008 Morial declares a homeowner’s state of emergency and issues the Homeowners’ Bill of Rights. National Urban League responds to the Great Recession, advocating for targeted relief for hard-hit urban neighborhoods and enhanced social service initiatives. DECEMBER 2011 Induction to the National Parks Service International Civil Rights Walk of Fame. DECEMBER 18, 2014 Appointment to President Obama’s Task Force on 21st Century Policing, created in response to the unjustified use of deadly force against Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice, and others. AUGUST 2, 2017 NonProfit Times names Morial as one of the nation’s Top 50 Nonprofit Executives. APRIL 26, 2021 21 Pillars for Redefining Public Safety and Restoring Public Trust establishes a framework for criminal justice advocacy. MARCH 16, 2020 National Urban League sounds the alarm about the racially disparate impact of the burgeoning coronavirus crisis, commencing an intense advocacy and direct relief campaign later to be called The Urban League Fights For You. MARCH 2, 2010 “I Am Empowered” centennial campaign celebrating 100 years of advocacy and empowerment, unveiled on NBC’s TODAY show. JULY 1, 2009 A four-star rating from Charity Navigator places National Urban League in the top 10% of U.S. charities for good governance, fiscal responsibility and other best practices. JUNE 25, 2013 U.S. Supreme Court’s Shelby v. Holder decision, gutting the Voting Rights Act, triggers an escalation of voting rights advocacy and civic engagement efforts. NOVEMBER 9, 2016 Election of President Donald Trump, prompting a unified response by legacy civil rights organizations, led by the National Urban League, to a surge of racial hostility, hate crimes, and discriminatory public policies. MAY 5, 2020 Publication of The Gumbo Coalition: 10 Leadership Lessons That Help You Inspire, Unite, and Achieve. NOVEMBER 12, 2022 Premiere of Gumbo Coalition, a documentary of Morial’s work, along with Janet Murguía of UnidosUS, confronting the challenges of 2020. AUGUST 24, 2013 Realize the Dream March and Rally commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington. JULY 18, 2019 National Urban League announces future relocation to Harlem and construction of 425,000 square foot Urban League Empowerment Center. 5 CONFRONTING THE THREAT WITHIN IN PARTNERSHIP WITH: Southern Poverty Law Center 1. A HATE MANIFESTO: THE RISE IN VIOLENT HATE CRIMES ACROSS AMERICA 2. TRACKING A PARENTAL RIGHTS’ MOVEMENT ROOTED IN RACISM: THE THREAT WITHIN EDUCATION 3. HATE IN THE NATION: THE THREAT WITHIN OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM 4. A THREAT TO NATIONAL SECURITY: HATE WITHIN LAW ENFORCEMENT & THE MILITARY 5. THE DIVIDED STATE OF AMERICA: A SURGE OF DIVISIVE POLICIES 6 2023 STATE OF BLACK AMERICA ® DEMOCRACY IN PERIL: CONFRONTING THE THREAT WITHIN NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE 7 CONFRONTING THE THREAT WITHIN A HATE MANIFESTO : THE RISE IN VIOLENT HATE CRIMES ACROSS AMERICA Peyton Gendron dedicated a 180-page hate-filled manifesto he made accessible on social media and online forums like Discord and 4chan before he walked into Tops grocery store in Buffalo, NY, last May and murdered ten people because of the color of their skin. Unfortunately, Gendron’s violent attack wasn’t an isolated incident. Instead, it was one of the growing number of hate crimes and attacks carried out by white supremacists and far-right extremists. According to a preliminary report from the Center for the Study of Hate & Extremism at California State University in San Bernardino, 1 hate crimes increased by 44% in 2021. More alarming, the Anti- Defamation League reported a 22% drop in hate crime 2 reporting from law enforcement agencies over the same period. This is a growing threat that we cannot afford to ignore. HATE CRIMES IN 2021 INCREASED EXTREMIST MURDERS IN 2022 3 5/14/2022 • BUFFALO, NY RIGHT WING (WHITE SUPREMACIST) Payton Gendron reportedly opened fire at a supermarket, targeting Black people. His attack killed ten people (all Black) and wounded three more (one Black, two white). 4/29/2022 • FORT PIERCE, FL RIGHT WING (ANTI-GOVERNMENT) Police arrested Robert Lisby, a self- declared sovereign citizen, and Joy Tyler, for the alleged child abuse murder of a one-year-old infant, who starved to death. 3/15/2022 • TRACY, CA RIGHT WING (WHITE SUPREMACIST) Police arrested Jeremy Jones and Christina Garner for the murder of a Black man at a gas station. Both reportedly had a history of connections to white supremacist groups. 2/19/2022 • PORTLAND, OR RIGHT WING (OTHER) Benjamin Smith opened fire at a group of left-wing protesters, killing one and wounding five. His online postings revealed racism, antisemitism, and far-right ideas. EXTREMIST TERROR ATTACK PLOTS IN 2022 4 5/8/2022 • KEIZER, OR LEFT WING A crisis pregnancy center was the target of an arson attack using Molotov cocktails. It was one of a number of attacks against perceived anti-abortion targets in 2022. 2/23/2022 • COLUMBUS, OH RIGHT WING (WHITE SUPREMACIST) Christopher Cook, Jonathan Frost, and Jackson Sawall pled guilty to conspiring to provide material support to terrorists for a plot to attack the power grid in hopes of starting a race war. 2/11/2022 • WATERVILLE, ME ISLAMIST Xavier Pelkey was arrested for allegedly plotting to attack mosques and synagogues in Chicago until he was killed by police. The attacks were reportedly to be committed in the name of ISIS. 2/10/2022 • SPRINGFIELD, MA RIGHT WING (WHITE SUPREMACIST) Dushko Vulchev was indicted on federal hate crime charges for an arson that destroyed a predominantly Black church. Vulchev reportedly displayed evidence of racism and white supremacy. 1/15/2022 • COLLEYVILLE, TX ISLAMIST Malik Faisal Akram took four people hostage at a synagogue, claiming to have weapons and bombs, and demanding a suspected Al Qaeda courier be released from prison. Akram apparently chose the location because, he claimed, “America only cares about Jewish lives.” TO FIND ADDITIONAL HATE BY THE NUMBERS DATA, VISIT STATEOFBLACKAMERICA.ORG 1 https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/news/2022/02/14/hate-crime-increase-2021-asian-american- 2 https://www.adl.org/resources/press-release/adl-calls-comprehensive-hate-crime-reporting-response-alarming-gaps-data 3 https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-to-track-hate/heat-map 4 https://www.adl.org/resources/tools-to-track-hate/heat-mapTRACKING A PARENTAL RIGHTS’ MOVEMENT ROOTED IN RACISM : THE THREAT WITHIN EDUCATION When Ray Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451, a dystopian story about an America where books were outlawed and burned, he was inspired by the book burnings in Nazi Germany and the repression of ideologies by the Soviet Union. Sixty years later, the cautionary tale is becoming a reality. Across the country, over 567 laws have been introduced to suppress our children’s access to school libraries, censor and censure our educators, and rewrite American history. Operating under the guise of “parents‘ rights,” extremists are labeling diversity initiatives in education, and culturally competent curriculums, as critical race theory to suppress the teaching of Black history and center whiteness in the classroom. They are disrupting school board meetings and, under the leadership of extremist state leaders, have even introduced laws to arrest and prosecute teachers for doing their jobs. INTRODUCED, NOT ADOPTED INTRODUCED & ADOPTED LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICT CITY/ COUNTY GOVT STATE OR FEDERAL FEDERAL (INTRODUCED) ANTI-CRT EFFORTS IN THE U.S. SINCE SEPTEMBER 2020, A TOTAL OF 183 LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL GOVERNMENT ENTITIES ACROSS THE UNITED STATES HAVE INTRODUCED 521 ANTI-CRITICAL RACE THEORY BILLS, RESOLUTIONS, EXECUTIVE ORDERS, OPINION LETTERS, STATEMENTS, AND OTHER MEASURES. University of California Los Angeles, CRT Forward Project 5 PROGRESS AND LEVEL OF ANTI-CRT MEASURES 5 https://law.ucla.edu/academics/centers/critical-race-studies/ucla-law-crt-forward-tracking-project NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE HATE IN THE NATION : THE THREAT WITHIN OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM There is a fire brewing in America. Hate-fueled rhetoric and conspiracy theories have radicalized Americans and fanned the flames of an extremist movement. A movement that has taken flight from the internet's darkest corners and found its way into state legislatures, our courts, and the halls of Congress. Across the country, we are beginning to see how elected officials are weaponizing dangerous far-right ideologies. In every state, bills challenging who gets to vote in our elections, what our children are allowed to learn in the classroom, and who is entitled to civil rights are being passed into law. What many on the right are calling a "culture war" is a coordinated attack on every American's civil rights. Emboldened by an angry base, state leaders have punished the business community and public institutions, including colleges and universities, for embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion practices by threatening to withhold funding. And in Congress, far-right party leaders have held the country hostage by refusing to pass laws protecting our civil rights and have gone as far as to block the election of a new Speaker of the House. This report calls this coordinated assault on progress precisely what it is: hatred. IN THE 2022 MIDTERM ELECTIONS, CANDIDATES WHO DENIED THE 2020 ELECTION RESULTS, SPOUTED HATE, AND SPREAD HARMFUL CONSPIRACY THEORIES RAN FOR OFFICE NATIONWIDE. THESE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES OF A GROWING NUMBER OF RADICAL POLITICAL FIGURES ENTERING OUR POLITICAL SYSTEM. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE LAUREN BOEBERT (R) retained her seat representing Colorado’s District 3. Boebert is known for her anti- Muslim bigotry, ties to militia groups, and appearances on QAnon-related shows. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE PAUL GOSAR (R) won the primary to retain his congressional seat representing Arizona’s 9th District. Gosar has ties to the Oath Keepers, Proud Boys, and America First, and has been seen with far-right fringe figures including Steve Bannon, Ali Alexander, and white supremacist Nick Fuentes. Gosar has a history of promoting conspiracy theories—including those surrounding the 2020 election—and in November 2021 he was censured for sharing an anime cartoon that depicted the killing of a character meant to be Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE (R) was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020 and became one of the most visible extremists to enter the Republican party. The Georgian congresswoman, who has suggested Jewish space lasers are responsible for wildfires, speculated whether 9/11 was a hoax and supported the QAnon conspiracy theory, was part of a new wave of Trumpian Republicans, and was mocked, ridiculed, and reviled in equal measure—including by some in her own party. CURRENT ARIZONA STATE SENATOR AND SELF- PROCLAIMED OATH KEEPER WENDY ROGERS (R) won the race to retain her Arizona State Senate seat representing District 7. Rogers spoke in February at the America First Political Action conference—a white nationalist conference organized by Nick Fuentes, appeared on the antisemitic Trunews streaming platform, has been a prominent voice in the effort to undermine the 2020 presidential election, and was censured in March for threatening rival politicians with violence. ANGELA RIGAS (R) was elected to the Michigan State House in District 79 by a large margin despite being a January 6th participant. In response to being called an insurrectionist or treasonist, Rigas said, “I consider all of those terms a compliment, because our founding fathers were called all the same things.” 9Next >