Hate in Memphis

The number of hate groups operating in the Memphis area was cut in half over the last two years, according to a new report from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

Each year, the Montgomery, Alabamabased SPLC issues its Year in Hate & Extremism report, which details hate groups and anti-government extremist groups operating across the U.S. is year’s report found a total of 1,225 active groups (in both categories combined) in the U.S., up slightly from the 1,221 groups active in 2021.

e number of hate groups fell for the fourth year in a row in 2022. A record number of such groups (1,020) was recorded in 2018. is fell to 733 in 2021 and to 523 in the 2022 report. However, the number of anti-government groups rose. e number of such groups totaled 566 in 2020, fell to 488 in 2021, but rose steeply to 702 in the 2022 report.

In Memphis, four groups made the SPLC’s annual report. at’s down from the eight groups reported in 2020.

Gone from the report this year are four Black nationalist groups — Great Millstone, Israel United in Christ, Nation of Islam, and the New Black Panther Party for Islam. e SPLC said, “Black nationalists typically oppose integration and racial intermarriage, and they want separate institutions — or even a separate nation — for Blacks.” e groups are also “anti-white and anti-Semitic,” the group said. No reason was given as to why these groups were not listed in this year’s report.

Also gone from this year’s report is Confederate 901, a seemingly inactive group that surfaced in 2017. At the time, its leaders were opposed to the removal of Confederate statues in Memphis.

Two new groups have been added to the SPLC’s report on Memphis over the last two years. e Proud Boys and the Shelby County chapter of Moms for Liberty are now active here. e local Moms for Liberty group says it is “dedicated to the survival of America by unifying, educating and empowering parents to defend their parental rights at all levels of government.” Jennifer Martin is listed as the county chapter chair on the national group’s website. e local Proud Boys group also made the list. e group’s pro le rose last year as they counter-protested a pro-choice rally here. e West Tennessee Proud Boys website shows a photo of the group marching on Beale Street and tells its members to “walk your streets with your head held high.” An obviously fake Memphis address is listed as “Freedom Street, Memphis, TN 38503.” e ZIP code is for Cookeville, Tennessee.

In its website’s “Beliefs” section, the local Proud Boys say they “are proud Western Chauvinists who refuse to apologize for creating the modern world.” ey say they want small government, freedom of speech, closed borders, the right to bear arms, to “venerate the housewife,” and more. e site also o ers a portal to join the group. Another button, for complaints, takes a visitor to a YouTube video featuring a tune called “ e You Are A Cunt Song.”

Two Bartlett radio stations also made the SPLC’s list this year, as they have for years. Blood River Radio believes “genocide is being pursued against white gentile people of the world.” e Political Cesspool hosts have said, “We represent a philosophy that is pro-white and are against political centralization.”