Hopewatch
Hopewatch amplifies the unwavering commitment of people who tirelessly advocate for racial and social justice.
Get the latest investigative reporting from Hopewatch
-
- Ending Unjust Imprisonment
Five years after George Floyd’s death, anger and work toward justice remain
“Say your ABCs. But say it without singing the alphabet song.” This was the first of two commands I was given during a traffic stop in 2002. I was a 25-year-old graduate student in North Carolina, driving home from campus that night. A police officer pulled me over for allegedly speeding on the interstate and…
-
- Dismantling White Supremacy
Civil Rights Memorial Center to host art and activism showcase, block party
The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Civil Rights Memorial Center (CRMC) will partner with 21 Dreams Arts & Culture to showcase art and activism in its many forms this month. Whether through exhibits at local museums and historic sites, local gatherings or sporting events and activities, there are a plethora of spaces that share the story…
-
Creative Combat: 10 steps for resistance in an age of crisis and chaos
We live in chaotic times. Yet much of the political, legal and activist response is shackled to the ways of the past. The recent “Hands Off” demonstrations are indicative of the problem. The protests brought groups together and motivated (mostly older and white) liberals but did little to change the status quo. How, then, to…
-
- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Power of the People: The SAVE Act and its threat to American democracy
At our democracy’s imperfect founding, only white men who owned property could vote. Through significant struggle and sacrifice, we’ve made progress. The Reconstruction amendments, the 19th Amendment, the Indian Citizenship Act, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 — over time, these landmark developments have made voting rights real for people of color, women, language minorities…
-
- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
SPLC president and CEO speaks out on SAVE Act’s danger to our democracy
While the nation watches the slow-rolling car crash that has been the Trump tariff policy, Republicans in Congress have been moving forward on another part of the Project 2025 agenda: making it more difficult to vote. The House passed its version of the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act last month, with every Republican representative…
-
- Dismantling White Supremacy
SPLC staff recommend these films and TV shows to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, which commemorates the contributions of a vibrant, diverse and culturally rich community. The AAPI community represents 20.6 million people in the U.S., encompassing a wide array of languages, religions and cultural traditions. The Southern Poverty Law Center’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Affinity Group recommends the…
-
- Dismantling White Supremacy
Whose Heritage? Confederate statues were built to keep us in our place
Let’s stop pretending. Confederate monuments were never about “remembering history.” They were built to remind Black people exactly who was in charge — and to glorify the people who fought to keep us enslaved. They’re not just stone and bronze. They’re warnings. They’re threats. And they’ve been allowed to stand for far too long. Every…
-
- Dismantling White Supremacy
Cigar Factory Strike: Celebrating Southern heritage — not the Confederacy
Since 1994, several Southern states each year have observed “Confederate Heritage Month” in April. From the first shots at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, to Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee’s surrender on April 9, 1865, Confederate leaders stated explicitly and repeatedly that they fought to protect slavery and to further white supremacy. That is…
-
- Eliminating Poverty and Economic Inequality
Federal court ruling in Alabama case a victory for reproductive rights
A federal district court in Alabama last month issued a pivotal opinion prohibiting the Alabama attorney general from carrying out his threats to criminally prosecute people who help pregnant Alabamians leave the state to access abortion where it is legal. The court held that the threats violated the Yellowhammer Fund’s right to free expression and…
-
- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Opposing President Donald Trump’s executive order targeting voting rights
The right to vote is a cornerstone of democracy; it safeguards all other rights. Yet recently we have witnessed systemic assaults to voting on several fronts. Last month, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that unilaterally aims to upend voting as we know it. If implemented by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission, the order…
