A protester holds up his fist as he stands behind Dallas police officers at their headquarters Monday in Dallas. Five police officers were killed and several injured during a shooting in downtown Dallas last Thursday night. (AP Photo / Eric Gay)

A protester holds up his fist as he stands behind Dallas police officers at their headquarters Monday in Dallas. Five police officers were killed and several injured during a shooting in downtown Dallas last Thursday night. (AP Photo / Eric Gay)

Watchdogs: US police shootings fueling black extremism

  • By Wire Service
  • Tuesday, July 12, 2016 6:45am
  • Local News

By Jay Reeves

Associated Press

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — The public backlash against police shootings of black people is helping fuel the growth of black hate groups, some of which advocate retaliatory violence against law enforcement, watchdog groups said Monday.

The Southern Poverty Law Center counted 113 groups advocating black separatism, black supremacy or some other extreme, black-centric ideology in the United States in 2014. By the end of 2015, in the aftermath of last year’s killing of a black man by a white police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, the number had grown to 180, an increase of nearly 60 percent in less than a year.

The center says the number of Ku Klux Klan groups grew even more during the same period, but experts say much of that change was linked to the splintering of larger groups rather than real growth.

No one knows exactly how many people have been drawn to black extremist groups, but there’s no reason to believe the growth of violent ideology is slowing. Last week’s protests of police shootings in Louisiana and Minnesota have only spread since a black sniper killed five police officers at a demonstration in Dallas.

“It draws people to their ranks, people who are mad about what is going on with law enforcement,” said Heidi Beirich, director of the Alabama-based center’s Intelligence Project, which tracks extremist organizations.

People who join such organizations might not pose the biggest threat anyway, said Oren Segal of the Anti-Defamation League. He agrees that killings by police and the ensuing protests provide fuel for black extremist groups, but believes exact numbers are hard to pin down.

“The most dangerous are those who don’t join anything, who get inspired by the militancy or hate, who get influenced by the rhetoric, and act on their own,” said Segal, who directs the ADL’s Center on Extremism.

Dallas gunman Micah Xavier Johnson apparently fell into this category: The 25-year-old Army veteran wasn’t known to be an active member of any group, but he was on Facebook, and followed the feeds of the New Black Panther Party and the Black Riders Liberation Party.

He also “liked” the African-American Defense League, which formed in 2014 and advocates violence against police and white people in general. The group has gathered more than 870 “likes” on its Facebook page, whose cover photo still showed dozens of military-style weapons days after Johnson killed five white officers.

Beirich said the Intelligence Project tracks hate groups through methods including its own research, reports by media and law enforcement, the groups’ own publications, and social media. Some radical black religious organizations also have houses of worship or book stores that can be counted, she said.

But determining a group’s true size and reach can be difficult, said the ADL’s Segal.

For example, he said, the New Black Panther Party is considered a “hard-core hate group” and members have advocated violence against police, yet it typically stages few events where watchdogs can count members, as they do with the KKK or the National Alliance, which are considered white hate groups.

Instead, he said, black extremists often join in demonstrations, and sometimes incite others in the crowd.

Adding to the difficulty is the fact that some black extremist groups use their advocacy of common social issues like eradicating poverty or improving education as a doorway to lead people down a path of militancy, he said.

“They take legitimate social issues that people care about and infuse them with their brand of hatred,” said Segal.

The KKK once did the same thing, billing itself as a group that helped poor Southerners even as members were blamed for racial violence. And similar to black extremists, the KKK reported an increase in followers after officials removed Confederate flags in the South following the shooting that killed nine people last year at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina.

“(The Klan) took that as a direct attack on one of their symbols,” Beirich said.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Local News

Olivia Vanni / The Herald 
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County.
The Mukilteo Lighthouse. Built in 1906, it’s one of the most iconic landmarks in Snohomish County. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Mukilteo mayor vetoes council-approved sales tax

The tax would have helped pay for transportation infrastructure, but was also set to give Mukilteo the highest sales tax rate in the state.

Marysville Mayor Jon Nehring gives the state of the city address at the Marysville Civic Center on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024, in Marysville, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Marysville council approves interim middle housing law

The council passed the regulations to prevent a state model code from taking effect by default. It expects to approve final rules by October.

x
State audit takes issue with Edmonds COVID grant monitoring

The audit report covered 2023 and is the third since 2020 that found similar issues with COVID-19 recovery grant documentation.

Bothell
Bothell man pleads guilty to sexual abuse of Marysville middle schoolers

The man allegedly sexually assaulted three students in exchange for vapes and edibles in 2022. His sentencing is set for Aug. 29.

Larsen talks proposed Medicaid cuts during Compass Health stop in Everett

Compass Health plans to open its new behavioral health center in August. Nearly all of the nonprofit’s patients rely on Medicaid.

District 2 candidates differ in public safety approach

Incumbent Paula Rhyne is facing challenger Ryan Crowther. The third candidate, Jonathan Shapiro, is no longer seeking the seat.

From left to right, Edmonds City Council Position 3 candidates Joseph Ademofe, Alex Newman and Erika Barnett.
Amid budget crisis, Edmonds City Council candidates talk revenue, affordability

Three newcomers are facing off for Position 3 on the council, currently held by council President Neil Tibbott.

Community members gather for the dedication of the Oso Landslide Memorial following the ten-year remembrance of the slide on Friday, March 22, 2024, at the Oso Landslide Memorial in Oso, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
The Daily Herald garners 6 awards from regional journalism competition

The awards recognize the best in journalism from media outlets across Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington.

Everett
Everett approves new fines for non-emergency lifts

The fire department will only issue fines for non-emergency lift assists at licensed care facilities, not for individuals at home calling 911.

Guns for sale at Caso’s Gun-A-Rama in Jersey City, New Jersey, which has been open since 1967. (Photo by Aristide Economopoulos/New Jersey Monitor)
After suing, WA gets carveout from Trump administration plan to return gun conversion devices

The Trump administration has agreed to not distribute devices that turn semi-automatic… Continue reading

The Wild Horse Wind and Solar Facility about 16 miles east of Ellensburg in central Washington is part of Puget Sound Energy’s clean energy portfolio. (Courtesy of Puget Sound Energy)
Megabill’s elimination of tax credits for clean energy projects could cost WA $8.7 billion

Washington households could see electricity costs increase $115 per year by 2029; 21,800 workers could lose their jobs by 2030, analysts say.

Everett mayor candidates focus on affordability, city budget in costly race

As incumbent Cassie Franklin seeks a third term in office, three candidates are looking to unseat her.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.