Hate Crimes and the Rise of White Nationalism

On April 9, 2019, Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, testified before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary. The hearing, “Hate Crimes and the Rise of White Nationalism,” discussed how for generations, African-Americans have experienced hate-based violence at alarmingly high rates, and are among the most frequent victims of hate crimes today. 

Clarke discussed the steps the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law has taken to disrupt and root out white supremacy, including:

• Challenging online platforms that spread hate and violence against minorities;
• Advocating for Facebook to abandon its ill-conceived policy in which they permitted “white nationalist” content;
• Calling for online platforms such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Apple to review their policies to ensure they are not places where hateful activities can congregate; and
• Filed litigation against white supremacists and used the courts to vindicate the rights of impacted individuals.

Clarke called on Congress to strengthen public accommodations laws, so that individuals affected by online attacks of white supremacists have recourse through the courts. 

Companies that profit from online platforms where white supremacy is prevalent also have a responsibility to address this crisis and terminate purveyors of hate, and greater transparency in the technology sector would allow this to happen. State and local law enforcement agencies also have a critical role to play when it comes to addressing hate crimes. 

Read the full testimony here.