Pennsylvania is home to the sixth highest amount of hate groups in the country, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit civil rights and advocacy organization. The SPLC says they compiled a list of hate groups by using publications, websites, news reports, field sources and law enforcement reports.
Based on their data, the SPLC found that Pennsylvania is home to 40 hate groups, the sixth highest number in the country. Their map includes the names of the organizations and their locations. Take a look at their “hate map” here.
The SPLC’s selection of hate groups has caused controversy. Some of the selected groups as well as their advocates have rejected the label and questioned the SPLC’s criteria. The SPLC defines a hate group as an organization that has “beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics.” The group activities can include “criminal acts, marches, rallies, speeches, meetings, leafleting or publishing,” according to the SPLC.