From Dylann Roof to @realDonaldTrump: How the Web is Used to Recruit, Raise Money and Spread Hate
Session Type(s): Panel
Starts: Saturday, Jul. 16 2:30 PM (Eastern)
Ends: Saturday, Jul. 16 3:45 PM (Eastern)
Dylann Roof, the terrorist responsible for the Charleston massacre in June of 2015, is likely the first violent right-wing extremist to have been radicalized entirely online. His entry into the world of racist propaganda came courtesy of a savvy web master who used Google News to create alarm around a so-called “epidemic” of black-on-white crime. Similarly savvy white nationalists and members of the new “Alt-Right” movement use culture jamming tactics on Facebook and Twitter to inject racist memes like #WhiteGenocide into popular political and cultural discussions. And, of course, @realDonaldTrump retweets them all to his 5 million-plus followers. Join members of the Southern Poverty Law Center and other experts to discuss how haters operate.
Moderator
Angbeen Saleem
Angbeen Saleem (moderator) is a digital media associate at the Southern Poverty Law Center where she creates content for the web and helps run the SPLC’s social media accounts. Previously, she worked at the Aspen Planning and Evaluation Program, helping other non-profits monitor and evaluate their online presence. Find her on Twitter @angbe3n.
Panelists
Jessie Daniels
Jessie Daniels is Professor (Sociology & Critical Social Psychology), at Hunter College and The Graduate Center, CUNY. She has published five books, including Cyber Racism (Rowman & Littlefield, 2009), along with dozens of peer-reviewed journal articles. Daniels blogs at Racism Review, hangs out on Twitter, and is writing a memoir.
Keegan Hankes
Keegan Hankes is a Research Analyst for the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project. He focuses on far right extremists’ online propaganda campaigns, as well as White Nationalism and neo-confederate ideologies. He joined the SPLC in the summer of 2013 after graduating from the University of Chicago. Follow @Hatewatch.
Vidhya Ramalingam
Vidhya Ramalingam is Director of Moonshot CVE, a specialist organization applying creative and tech solutions to counter violent extremism. She previously set up and ran the program on Far-Right Extremism & Intolerance at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, and launched The FREE Initiative, an online platform offering guidance on community responses to far-right violence. Follow @vidhya_ra.