Southern Poverty Law Center

Southern Poverty Law Center Logo

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Southern Poverty Law Center

Founding

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was founded in 1971 by "Morris Dees, a direct mail marketer who served as National Finance Director for George McGovern's 1972 Presidential campaign." Organized as a 501(c) non-profit, SPLC claims that it is "dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society..."[1]

Partner Organization of ProsperUS

Southern Poverty Law Center is listed as a "Partner Organization" of ProsperUS, a coalition of leftist groups formed during the 2020 coronavirus pandemic to demand massive government spending, including Joe Biden's "Build Back Better" spending bill.,,

Teaching Tolerance

Teaching Tolerance is a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center. According to their website: Teaching Tolerance was renamed to Learning for Justice in February 2021.

"Our mission is to help teachers and schools educate children and youth to be active participants in a diverse democracy.

"Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators—teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners—who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

"Our program emphasizes social justice and anti-bias. The anti-bias approach encourages children and young people to challenge prejudice and learn how to be agents of change in their own lives. Our Social Justice Standards show how anti-bias education works through the four domains of identity, diversity, justice and action.

"Communities Against Hate" "strategic advisor"

Southern Poverty Law Center is listed as a "strategic advisor" of the Open Society Foundation's Communities Against Hate initiative.

"Communities Against Hate is a national initiative to collect data and respond to incidents of violence, threats, and property damage motivated by hate across the United States. The initiative leverages a reporting database (communitiesagainsthate.org) that aggregates reports from victims, witnesses, and news accounts of hate incidents, as well as offers legal resources and social services to support people in need. Communities Against Hate aims to aggregate data on hate incidents, providing legal and social support, raising awareness, and educating the public on the prevalence of hate.

"The initiative is led by the Leadership Conference Education Fund, the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and partner organizations representing diverse communities that reflect the fabric of America, including: Center for Community Change; Color of Change; Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network (GSA Network); Hollaback!; Muslim Advocates; National Council of La Raza; National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC); New York City Anti-Violence Project; and the Transgender Law Center. The Southern Poverty Law Center is serving as a strategic advisor to the initiative.

'Partnership' with the FBI

The Hate Crimes section of the FBI claims to have forged a "partnership" with Southern Poverty Law Center.

"The FBI has forged partnerships nationally and locally with many civil rights organizations to establish rapport, share information, address concerns, and cooperate in solving problems. These groups include such organizations as the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, American Association of University Women, Anti Defamation League, Asian American Justice Center, Hindu American Foundation, Human Rights Campaign, The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, National Center for Transgender Equality, National Council of Jewish Women, National Disability Rights Network, National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, National Organization for Women, Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund, The Sikh Coalition, Southern Poverty Law Center, and many others."

The Nation's Richest "Civil Rights" Organization

Far from poor, SPLC raises tens of millions of dollars annually, and has grown an endowment of over $250 million. The group maintains offshore bank accounts in the West Indies.

A 1996 USA Today article called the Southern Poverty Law Center "the nation's richest civil rights organization" with $68 million in assets. According to a 2007 Harper's Magazine article, SPLC listed assets totaling $168 million, and pointed out that the sum was more than the annual GDP of the Marshall Islands at the time.[2] Line 20 on the 2008 IRS form 990 for the Southern Poverty Law Center lists total assets of $221,434,949.00.[3]

Defaming Christian Ministries

In November of 2010, SPLC added several mainstream evangelical organizations to their list of "hate" groups in response to those groups' public support for Biblical teaching on the subject of homosexuality.

From Citizenlink:

Just before Thanksgiving, the leftist Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) came out with a report labeling the Family Research Council (FRC), the American Family Association and other family advocates as “hate” groups because of their stand for marriage.

"This is a deliberately timed smear campaign by the SPLC. The Left is losing the debate over ideas and the direction of public policy, so all that is left for them is character assassination. It’s a sad day in America when we cannot, with integrity, have a legitimate discussion over policy issues that are being considered by Congress, legislatures and the courts without resorting to juvenile tactics of name calling."

From The National Prayer Network:

SPLC’s 10-page attack was distributed to 55,000 police officers in America. Called 18 Anti-Gay Groups and Their Propaganda, it encourages police to especially watch the hateful, violence-inciting propaganda from Christian/conservative "watchdog" organizations. These include the American Family Association, Concerned Women for America, Family Research Council, Coral Ridge Ministries, Liberty Council, and Traditional Values Coalition.

According to Dr. Gary Cass, who is affiliated with the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission, "To say that anybody who has a principled objection to homosexuality [and warns of] the impact that that sinful lifestyle has on individuals and on society is somehow morally equivalent to overt racism and violence is absolutely defamatory." [4]

Personnel

Senior Program Staff, 2010;

• Richard Cohen, President
• Morris Dees, Founder, Chief Trial Attorney
• Mary Bauer, Legal Director
• Mark Potok, Director, Intelligence Project
• Lecia Brooks, Director, Civil Rights Memorial Center
• Maureen Costello, Teaching Tolerance Director

Hate and Extremism

• Heidi Beirich, Ph.D Director of Research
• Joseph T. Roy, Chief Investigator
• Brendan Joel Kelley, Reporter, editor

Immigrant Justice

• Dan Werner , Deputy Legal Director
• Mónica Ramírez, Director, Esperanza: The Immigrant Women’s Legal Initiative
• Kristi Graunke, Senior Staff Attorney
• Andrew Turner, Senior Staff Attorney
• Jim Knoepp, Senior Staff Attorney

Children at Risk

• Sheila Bedi, Deputy Legal Director
• Ron Lospennato, Litigation Director, School-to-Prison Reform Project
• David J. Utter, Director, Florida Initiatives
• Danielle Lipow, Director, Juvenile Justice Policy Group
• Marion Chartoff, Director, Alabama Education Project
• Courtney Bowie,Director, Mississippi Youth Justice Project

Teaching Tolerance

• Sean Price, Associate Editor
• Thom Ronk, Curriculum Design Manager

Board of Directors

Board of Directors, 2010

• Howard Mandell
• Lloyd V. Hackley
• Julian Bond
• Patricia Clark
• Alan B. Howard
• Marsha Levick
• Joseph J. Levin, Jr.
• James McElroy
• Vanzetta McPherson
• James Rucker
• David Wang

References

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