Oregon 'Hate Map' Reveals 11 Racist, Separatist Hate Groups

PORTLAND, OR — While White Nationalist and Anti-Fascist rhetoric rile Americans across the nation following the Aug. 12 protest and rally in Charlottesville, Virginia — where racism protester Heather D. Heyer, 32, was killed after she was hit by a car allegedly driven by 20-year-old James Alex Fields Jr., an Ohio man known to associate with White Nationalists — the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has released interactive maps revealing the names and locations of nearly 1,000 known hate groups currently operating in the U.S., including 11 in Oregon.

Despite its torrid anti-black and anti-Semitic history, Oregon ranks 31st in the nation for harboring known hate groups — which the SLPC classifies as having "beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics." With 11, Oregon sits between Idaho (12) and Minnesota (10). Rhode Island, Vermont, and North Dakota each have one known hate group, while Alaska and Hawaii have none. California (79), Florida (63), Texas (55), New York (47), and Virginia (42) round out the country's top five.

In Oregon, the SPLC identified the following hate groups:

• National Prayer Network — Based in Clackamas, the National Prayer Network is categorized as a "general hate" group, according to the SPLC — meaning its variety of hateful beliefs are challenging to categorize. According to its website, the National Prayer Network explicitly blames Israeli leaders for the rise of "Arab terrorism" and specifically for the events on 9/11.
• Israelite School of Universal Practical Knowledge — The SPLC identified this group as Black Separatist, which commonly means it opposes integration — particularly interracial marriage or coupling — and believes blacks, Hispanics, and Native Americans are "the Lost 12 Tribes of the Nation of Israel."
• Black Riders Liberation Party — Also labeled Black Separatist, the Black Riders say they're the next generation of the Black Panther Party for Self Defense. Militaristic in structure, they were founded by former Crips and Bloods who wanted to directly combat white supremacy.
• Soleilmoon Recordings — A Portland based recording studio, Soleilmoon was designated as hate music by the SPLC — reportedly for its choice to publish known forms of "white power" music.
• The Israelite Church of God in Jesus Christ — This Black Separatist group has affiliates in several cities across the country, including one in Portland.
• National Socialist Movement — A well-known nationally active neo-Nazi organization, the National Socialist Movement is anti-black, anti-LGBTQ, anti-Semitic, and anti- pretty much everything that isn't a white heterosexual of European descent.
• Israel United In Christ — This group was also designated as Black Separatist by the SPLC.
• Wolves of Vinland — Relatively new to the Pacific Northwest, Wolves leader Jack Donovan says his group is not White Nationalist — though the SPLC disagrees. Based on the blog Donovan writes, the Wolves of Vinland Cascadia espouse masculinity, tribalism, and survivalism.
• Northwest Hammerskins — The Hammerskins are an unapologetic racist skinhead group with chapters established across the continental U.S. They believe in white supremacy and white power.
• American Front — Established in the late 1980s, American Front is one of the oldest continuously existing racist skinhead groups in the U.S., according to the Anti-Defamation League. Known for inciting violence and attempting to incite a race war between 2012 and 2014, American Front is white supremacist, anti-Communist hate group.
• Rense Radio Network — Based in Ashland, this radio station typically features interviews with folks like former KKK grand wizard David Duke and Stormfront's Don Black. Additionally, it supports and perpetuates conspiracy theories like "pizzagate" and the "Moon Is An Alien Command Center." Both the SPLC and the Anti-Defamation League accuse the network's owner, Jeff Rense, of promoting anti-Semitic, pro-Nazi speech.

In December, Jack Donovan contacted Patch to comment about Wolves of Vinland.

"The members of the Cascadian chapter of the Wolves have no interest in White Nationalist causes and that the group is religious in nature and staunchly non-political," Donovan told Patch. "The discussion of current politics is actually forbidden at our local meetings."

Top Photo Caption: Protesters prepare to march in Philadelphia, Wednesday, Aug. 16, 2017, from Congregation Rodeph Shalom in response to a white nationalist rally held in Charlottesville, Va., over the weekend. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)