The SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center) was founded in 1971 by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees and Joseph Levin Jr. It is a nonprofit civil rights organization dedicated to fighting hate and bigotry, and to seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of society. The SPLC is based in Montgomery, Ala., which is the birthplace of the modern civil rights movement, and has offices in Atlanta, New Orleans, Miami, Fla. and Jackson, Miss.
The lawsuits won by the SPLC have brought institutional racism in the south to an end, bankrupted some of the nation's most violent white supremacist groups and won justice for exploited workers, abused prison inmates, disabled children and other victims of discrimination.
The organization has an innovative Teaching Tolerance program that distributes free films, books and lesson plans. The program is working to foster school environments that are inclusive and nurturing. The SPLC hopes that the Teaching Tolerance program will instill acceptance and tolerance within future generations. Learning these qualities from an early age will hopefully end the systematic racism and bigotry that plagues our nation.
The SPLC monitors hate groups and other extremists throughout the United States and exposes their activities to law enforcement agencies, the media and the public. They share their findings online and in the Intelligence Report, which is the organization's award winning journal.
The SPLC and the work it does are crucial to all media professionals. It is a journalist's job to remain informed on issues that affect the large majority of people and the SPLC makes it easy for media professionals to follow their work. They keep the media and the public informed on the steps they are taking to improve the world we live in.
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