Southern Poverty Law Center
The Southern Poverty Law Center ( SPLC; German Law Centre about poverty of the South) is a non-profit attributable to the politically left-wing U.S. organization with the aim to combat racism and promote civil rights through research, education, and civil litigation.
Foundation
1971, the lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph Levin and Julian Bond in Montgomery (Alabama ) (place of the bus boycott by Rosa Parks 1955), the SPLC to force government, military and YMCA of the State of Alabama for the integration of minorities. The occasion was an ongoing process of racial segregation (Smith vs. YMCA ). Dee had developed as a fundraiser in the presidential campaign of George McGovern (Democrat ) has since then been copied, lucrative system in which potential small donors were contacted directly, so remained lost despite election nor money. McGovern left Dee for 700,000 addresses that brought this to the SPLC.
Activities
The center supplied with teaching material for promoting tolerance since 1991 55.000 American schools. To students, it distributed pamphlets such as " ways of combating hate on campus " as well as suggestions for "Diversity Education. "
Published in 2005 was the assistant Colleen O'Brien on the SPLC website Tolerance.org an article on the book Harry Potter: A ' Half-Blood Prince ', which they " racial hierarchies " with respect to certify there Uncategorised magical and non- magical people. The film industry responded by at least a play along Asian youths in the latest Potter film.
It finances since 1981 " Klan Watch" program, which refers to the Ku Klux Klan ( KKK ) and is a " Militia Task Force ," 800 he called " hate groups " monitored. These groups are divided into racial segregation ( Nation of Islam), Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis, Christian Identity, skinheads, Neokonföderierte and " Other " ( Jewish Defense League). Individuals such as Kevin B. MacDonald and Pat Robertson are also targets of the center, while others such as the classified ( Constitution Party ), as questionable groups ( groups of concern ). Hate groups are defined by the organization as such, disparage or attack groups of people because of properties that are not in their control.
SPLC carried out numerous and extensive peddled by the national press processes which incidentally earned him considerable money in the courtroom and case-related donations. In 1987, the group won a lawsuit for the mother of a black victim Lynch (Michael Donald ) against the United Klan of America and successfully fought U.S. $ 7 million, but could not pay the condemned. The assets of the association, a building valued at $ 51,000 was awarded to the mother .. 1990 was a court in Portland, Oregon, a neo-Nazi group of death of an Ethiopian emigrants guilty, as a result Tom Metzger and the White Aryan Resistance to payment were condemned by $ 12.5 million, which drove this into bankruptcy. It also observed numerous cases against the Ku Klux Klan.
1989 funded the establishment of the Civil Rights Memorial artist Maya Lin in Downtown Montgomery. It produces documentaries (about: " Gods and Generals " - the white washing of the Confederacy ), the magazine Intelligence Report and a youth magazine publishes and sends a " Klanwatch newsletter. "
Finances
The center is the civil rights organization with the largest financial reserves in the USA. 1996, took $ 14 million and had $ 68 million at the time reserves. In 2004, there were $ 152 million, now at 49.8 million revenue, of which 29.7 million through donations. Its directors include with annual salaries 171000-297000 U.S. $ 50 to the high-paying boards of charitable organizations in the United States. The donors include Cisco Systems, Picower Foundation, Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund and Grove Foundation.
Criticism
A report by the right-wing conservative Capital Research Center, is accused of the SPLC, their methods would not differ from those of Joseph McCarthy. The SPLC would exaggerate the threat posed by Hate Groups such as the Ku Klux Klan and militia to get more donations.