Hate crimes and the rise of the alt-Right
The spike in hate crimes targeting Black Americans mirrors the ascension of Trump in presidential politics, though it started long before with the GOP candidate, according to his own relatives. The latest spike is also attributed to the growing prominence of the alt-right, which thrives on anti-Black, anti-immigrant and white nationalist rhetoric. These movements, galvanized by figures like Vance, use disinformation to fuel racial resentment. Vance’s recent targeting of Haitian immigrants fits squarely into a broader narrative that scapegoats immigrants — particularly Black immigrants — for America’s societal challenges.
Targeting Black Americans
According to the FBI report, intimidation and vandalism are the most common forms of hate crimes against Black individuals, frequently occurring in Black neighborhoods and public spaces. This reinforces a sense of danger that extends beyond the individual to the broader Black community. White perpetrators were identified in the majority of these cases, reflecting the racial polarization that has deepened in recent years. The fact that these crimes spiked during the height of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement in June 2020 suggests a direct backlash against demands for racial justice.
This backlash intensified as alt-right and those who espouse their ideology like Vance began amplifying anti-Black narratives, often through coded language or outright disinformation. Trump’s and Vance’s intentional promotion of xenophobic conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants plays into a longstanding history of vilifying Black people — whether native-born or immigrant — as threats to white security and economic stability.
Surging violence: Terrorgram Collective and everyday attacks
The rise of organized hate groups like the Terrorgram Collective, whose members were recently arrested for planning violence against Black Americans, is symptomatic of the broader wave of anti-Black violence rooted in white nationalist ideology. This violence isn’t limited to isolated extremists; it permeates everyday life, from anti-Black microaggressions to the far-too-many stories about Black death at white hands, such as Sonia Massey and Ahmaud Arbery.
The psychological toll of hate crimes
Hate crimes against Black Americans do more than cause physical harm — they fracture the psychological and social fabric of entire communities. The relentless threat of violence — from both organized extremists and everyday racists — generates a climate of fear, anxiety and social isolation. The rise in these incidents following Trump’s election and the growing normalization of alt-right rhetoric demonstrates the dangerous link between political discourse and physical violence.
Combating racial violence in a divisive era
The FBI’s data on hate crimes against Black Americans is a chilling reflection of a society where anti-Black violence is not only persistent but escalating. This report is not just a call to confront the raw statistics of hate—it is a call to counter the dangerous ideologies that drive racial violence in the age of Trump and the alt-right.
