A map released by the national non-profit organization, “Southern Poverty Law Center,” shows there are 68 hate groups in California, the second highest in the country after Texas.
The SPLC, which describes itself as a "non-profit organization committed to fighting hate, intolerance and discrimination through education and litigation," released the interactive map displaying the different types of groups along with their affiliation.
The study shows that of the 68 hate groups in California, 16 of them are in Northern California. Six of those are based out of the Bay Area.
The groups in the Bay Area include, the Anti-Muslim group, the General Hate group and the Black Separatist group.
Hate groups are defined by the non-profit as groups with beliefs or practices that "attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristics," according to SPLC. Those activities can include criminal acts, speeches and leafleting, among other activities.
The list was built using hate group publications and websites as well as citizen and law enforcement reports, field sources and news reports.
The bulk of the groups in California reside in Southern California. In the country, Texas has the most groups of any state (84).
Local
According to SPLC, there were 998 antigovernment “patriot” groups in 2015. Overall, there has been a 14 percent increase in hate groups since 2014.
A new map shows the locations of hate groups in the Bay Area as identified by the Southern Poverty Law Center. https://t.co/G20IQuPRrc pic.twitter.com/r3USaanxPf — NBC Bay Area (@nbcbayarea) February 1, 2017
