HOUSTON – We have a saying down here that goes, “Don’t mess with Texas,” but according to a 2023 report by the Anti-Defamation League, that call seemed to be ignored by some hate groups.
LAST YEAR: Texas led nation in white supremacist propaganda in 2022, report finds
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The report was conducted as part of ADL’s Center on Extremism’s annual assessment and says overall, they saw a 12-percent increase in white supremacist propaganda distribution across the country.
Fortunately, the overall numbers are down slightly from its 2022 findings, but it’s the second consecutive year, the ADL says, researchers broke their record on propaganda numbers. And this past year, Texas ranked second-highest for the total number of white supremacist incidents, right behind Virginia.
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The report claims Texas, saw nearly 500 total incidents in 2023 and had the highest number of publicly held events centered around white supremacy. Overall, the ADL says it’s the highest number of incidents since researchers began keeping track of this data in 2017.
“Texas is home to one of the largest white supremacist organizations in the nation—Patriot Front--and our numbers reflect that unfortunate reality,” said Mark Toubin, Regional Director of ADL Southwest. “In the city of Houston alone, ADL’s H.E.A.T. Map shows 28 white supremacist propaganda distributions and one white supremacist event.”
ADL claims Patriot Front was responsible for the vast majority (60%) of incidents involving distributing hate propaganda across the nation.
“That does not include the greater Houston area,” Toubin added. “There were incidents in Baytown, Galveston, Jersey Village, Katy, Montgomery, New Caney, Spring, The Woodlands and unincorporated Harris County, and other parts of the greater Houston area.”
The report also showed a nationwide increase in antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ propaganda.
“At a time when antisemitic sentiment and incidents are at historic levels, white supremacists are increasingly resorting to hate propaganda to spread pernicious ideas against Jews and other marginalized groups,” Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO said. “Hardly a day goes by without communities being targeted by this odious rhetoric that terrorizes and harasses people at increasingly disturbing rates. This growing threat reminds us we must stay committed to the fight against all forms of hate.”
On Wednesday morning, Governor Greg Abbott issued an executive order fighting the increase in anti-semitism at colleges and universities saying in part: “Antisemitism is never acceptable in Texas, and we will do everything we can to fight it,”
To read the full report by the ADL’s Center on Extremism, click here.