More White Extremist Propaganda Appearing at US Colleges

 

Signs, fliers and other notices with racist¹ language are increasingly being found at colleges and universities in the United States, a new report finds.

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) reported recently that examples of white supremacist propaganda on U.S. college campuses rose during the most recent school year.

The ADL watches hate groups, including those who believe that white people are better than members of other races. The group says its aim is to secure justice and fair treatment for all people. It adds that white supremacist propaganda on campuses has increased in each of the past two years.

The report noted² a sharp increase in documented cases in the 2017-2018 school year. Examples included white supremacist fliers, stickers and other material.

?More extremist propaganda was found during the spring term of 2019 than any term in the past, the ADL said. There were 161 incidents on 122 different college and university campuses across 33 states, and in Washington, D.C. The report documented 313 cases of white supremacist propaganda on U.S. campuses between September 2018 and the end of May 2019.

The cases were tied to organizations linked to what has become known as the alternative right, or “alt-right,” movement. The ADL says the term “alt-right” is used to describe extremists who reject traditional conservative thinking. They instead support forms of conservatism that express support of racism³ or white supremacy⁴.

The 2017-2018 total marked a 77% increase from the year before.

Lynn Pasquerella is President of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. She says their members are concerned about increasing signs of white supremacists.

“There is a rise of white nationalism, racist propaganda on college and university campuses across the country, and around the world. We’re seeing growing concern on the part of college administrators⁵ about the type of rhetoric⁶ that challenges institutional commitment to equity⁷ and social justice.”

Examples of white supremacist propaganda also increased in non-college settings, the ADL said, with 672 examples in the first five months of this year.

Jonathan Greenblatt is the ADL’s chief executive officer. He said the recent increase on college campuses shows a greater effort within hate groups to expand. Greenblatt said their leaders are hoping to influence young, easily-influenced minds. The overall increase shows a political climate where white supremacist propaganda is increasingly accepted, he added.

White supremacist groups are using social media to push their message to the public. They have gained a level of influence in the political discussions not seen in many years, Greenblatt said.

The Southern Poverty Law Center closely follows hate groups and extremists. It confirms that the number of hate messages on and off U.S. college campuses has risen in recent years.

Heidi Beirich is director of the center’s intelligence project.

Beirich told VOA she thinks white nationalist and alt-right groups are increasing their messages on social media and campuses to get more members and publicity⁸.

The propaganda attacks minorities, including non-whites, Jews, Muslims and immigrants. Some messages included links to websites that contain white supremacist information.

It is not clear how successful these messages are in recruiting new members. But Beirich says that hate groups are reaching out to students on U.S. college campuses.

"And so I’m sure they have picked up some folks, young white men, as I’ve said, who maybe have been reading hate material online anyways, who have frustrations¹⁰ about the environment on campus, maybe it is too liberal for their taste, and who might decide to call somebody up like this. And you know, there is no shortage of people with higher degrees in this movement.”

She also says that hate groups support some of the policies of U.S. President Donald Trump¹¹.

“What they liked about Donald Trump was not his entire message, but they like the idea of a Muslim ban. They like the anti-immigrant policies that Trump advocated in the campaign, and now has been involved in with things like ICE [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency] raids and building the wall, and the fact that this is happening from the highest levels of the government energizes¹² this movement.”?

In 2017, President Trump was criticized for failing to condemn¹³ white supremacists by name immediately after violent clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia. A group of white supremacists clashed with opponents during a protest.

Days later, Trump said that there were some “very fine people on both sides” and that neo-Nazis and white nationalists involved “should be condemned¹⁴ totally.”

Lynn Pasquerella agrees that the national political rhetoric is adding to the problem. She says that white nationalists are partly acting¹⁵ out of fear of losing their jobs to immigrants.

In the 2018-2019 academic year, California had the highest number of on-campus white supremacist propaganda examples: a total of 58. The ADL said that was followed by Kentucky with 22 and Oklahoma with 19.

Pasquerella says this propaganda is coming from outside college campuses. Now, she says, it is up to college leaders to get involved in the public debate, and to help promote understanding and education.

I’m Anne Ball.

Words in This Story

campus – n. the area and buildings around a university, college or school

alternative - adj. existing or functioning outside of the established society?

rhetoric - n. language that is intended to influence people and that may not be honest or reasonable?

institutional - adj. in relation to an established organization?

engage – v. to do (something)

frustration⁹ – n. a feeling of anger or annoyance¹⁶ caused by being unable to do something : the state of being frustrated¹⁷

higher degree – n. an education degree above a high school diploma

neo-Nazi – n. a person who belongs to a group that believes in the ideas and policies of Hitler's Nazis and that sometimes commits violent acts

1 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 racism   

n.民族主义；种族歧视(意识)

参考例句：

• He said that racism is endemic in this country.他说种族主义在该国很普遍。
• Racism causes political instability and violence.种族主义道致政治动荡和暴力事件。

4 supremacy   

n.至上；至高权力

参考例句：

• No one could challenge her supremacy in gymnastics.她是最优秀的体操运动员，无人能胜过她。
• Theoretically,she holds supremacy as the head of the state.从理论上说，她作为国家的最高元首拥有至高无上的权力。

5 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

6 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

7 equity   

n.公正，公平，（无固定利息的）股票

参考例句：

• They shared the work of the house with equity.他们公平地分担家务。
• To capture his equity,Murphy must either sell or refinance.要获得资产净值，墨菲必须出售或者重新融资。

8 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

9 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

10 frustrations   

挫折( frustration的名词复数 )； 失败； 挫败； 失意

参考例句：

• The temptation would grow to take out our frustrations on Saigon. 由于我们遭到挫折而要同西贡算帐的引诱力会增加。
• Aspirations will be raised, but so will frustrations. 人们会产生种种憧憬，但是种种挫折也会随之而来。

11 trump   

n.王牌，法宝；v.打出王牌，吹喇叭

参考例句：

• He was never able to trump up the courage to have a showdown.他始终鼓不起勇气摊牌。
• The coach saved his star player for a trump card.教练保留他的明星选手，作为他的王牌。

12 energizes   

v.给予…精力，能量( energize的第三人称单数 )；使通电

参考例句：

• However, heating energizes the vibrational, rotational, and electronic motions all at once. 但是，加热会一下子把振动、转动和电子运动统统加强。 来自英汉非文学 - 科技
• Purpose always produces passion. Nothing energizes like a clear purpose. 目的往往会带来热忱，没有任何东西比清晰的目的更有动力。 来自互联网

13 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

14 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

15 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

16 annoyance   

n.恼怒，生气，烦恼

参考例句：

• Why do you always take your annoyance out on me?为什么你不高兴时总是对我出气？
• I felt annoyance at being teased.我恼恨别人取笑我。

17 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》