The Anti-Defamation League was behind the report, titled “Hate in the Lone Star State,” which found that Texas is home to a concerning amount of antisemitism and white supremacist propaganda.
One less-than-palatable finding: Texas saw an 89% spike in antisemitic incidents from 2021 to 2022.
ADL has published four reports about specific states, said spokesperson Jake Kurz. Each of those states has been battered by a marked rise in extremism and antisemitism. Aside from Texas, ADL has flagged Florida, California and Massachusetts.
When it comes to the Lone Star State, the North Texas region in particular stands out.
“Most of the really major events that are noted in the report occurred here in North Texas,” Kurz said. “And it's just not something we should be proud of as residents of this area, or that we should turn a blind eye to.”
The report was released late last month and covers trends, events and incidents from 2021 to 2023.
Hate and extremism are gaining traction both state- and nationwide, with certain celebrities and politicians acting to normalize antisemitism. Texas ranked No. 5 in the U.S. in the number of antisemitic incidents in 2022, according to the ADL.
Watchdog groups are sounding the alarm that leaders' hate-fueled rhetoric has made bigotry and prejudice more mainstream. And the normalization of hate can lead to real-world consequences, as seen in North Texas.
A gunman who embraced antisemitism and white supremacy killed eight people and injured several others at the Allen Premium Outlets mall last May. In January 2022, a British national held four people hostage inside a Colleyville synagogue.
Texas also witnessed the second-highest number of defendants charged in relation to the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021. In August, a 32-year-old man was arrested in Dallas and slapped with charges stemming from the insurrection, including a felony offense of obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder.
Plus, Texas has proven fertile ground for conspiracy theorists, like the QAnon acolytes who descended on Dallas’ Dealey Plaza in late 2021.
A large number of anti-LGBTQ+ and anti-immigrant incidents have unfolded in Texas as well, Kurz said.
“Many people don't know how big an issue this is,” he said. “And we want to bring awareness and try to appeal to elected officials and individuals to come together and try to do something to really take care of this issue — if we can’t completely curb it altogether, at least curtail it in a significant way.”
“I think it's time for everyone to get more involved and hold elected officials accountable.” – Jake Kurz, ADL
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ADL's report highlighted a 60% increase in the distribution of white supremacist propaganda from 2021 (329 cases) to 2022 (526 cases), making Texas the No. 1 state for such incidents.
Just last week, local news outlets reported that flyers with racist and antisemitic messaging had been strewn around North Texas towns. “Diversity is an anti-white hate crime,” the flyers purportedly read.
WFAA reported that a “first-generation African” resident from Prosper said, “Walking out my steps and seeing that ... My whole world came crashing down on me.”
Organized racists wield fear to keep people under control, said Wendy Via, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. The racist flyer incident, for example, could prompt some folks to question whether they should move to a certain neighborhood or even give them pause when going to vote.
Last summer, Via’s group conducted a poll that gauged respondents’ willingness to engage in the democratic process, such as by attending rallies or casting a ballot. Latino and Black people were disproportionately afraid to participate, she said — and with good reason. Members of extremist organizations like the white supremacist Proud Boys have recently sought to sign up as poll workers.
Whenever powerful leaders give tacit approval or encouragement to antisemitism and other hate, communities and the online realm see an increase in that behavior, Via said.
“We need to be in a place where the influential people are saying no to hate, right? No to antisemitism, no to anti-Black racism, no to every kind of bigotry,” she said. “We need leaders to loudly condemn this kind of behavior because that will have a significant impact.”
ADL has several recommendations for preventing hate in Texas.
Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3257 in 2021 to launch the Texas Holocaust, Genocide and Antisemitism Advisory Commission. ADL is now asking for the creation of a “United We Stand Summit,” a place for leaders to come together to address hate-fueled violence and bias incidents.
In addition, the ADL is pushing for a more robust response to hate crimes in Texas and for greater accountability for social media platforms that work to spread extremist content. The organization wants to see enhanced justice opportunities for victims of targeted hate, including those who have been doxed, a form of online harassment.
The civil rights of all Texans, particularly those from marginalized communities, need to be protected, Kurz said, adding: “I think it's time for everyone to get more involved and hold elected officials accountable.”
