29 How to Build a Firewall Against Hate? With Heidi Beirich

Pacific Time: The "What if...?" of West Coast Independence

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Political violence is rising, ICE is profiling, hate is mainstreaming. What if we on the West Coast have to fight extremism and the return of civil discourse on our own?

This summer has been a chilling reminder of how fragile our democracy feels: assassinations of Minnesota lawmakers, the murder of a conservative commentator, a mass shooting at a Minneapolis church, and continued racial profiling by ICE. None of these were directed by organized extremist groups, but they unfolded in an America where hate has been normalized and weaponized. Ugh, just writing that makes

In this episode, Greg talks with Heidi Beirich, co-founder of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism and longtime tracker of white nationalist and far-right movements. From her home base on the West Coast, Heidi explains how extremist ideas have gone mainstream, why the internet is today’s unregulated propaganda machine, and what states like ours must do to defend democracy if the federal government continues to look the other way -- or fan the flames of division.

This is a story about extremism, resilience, and the possibility of building a firewall against hate before it’s too late.

Highlights:

Why political violence is rising—even beyond extremist groups
The internet as today’s propaganda machine
How hate groups are recruiting youth through “active clubs”
What ICE racial profiling reveals about institutional extremism
Why West Coast states must lead when Washington won’t
How to defend multiracial democracy in an age of hate

About Our Guest

Heidi Beirich is Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism. For two decades she worked at the Southern Poverty Law Center, where she built one of the most respected research programs on extremist groups. Today, she focuses on tracking transnational hate networks and advising governments, tech companies, and communities on countering extremism.

Other Resources

Global Project Against Hate and Extremism: globalextremism.org
SPLC Hatewatch: splcenter.org/hatewatch
10 Political Violence Experts on What Comes Next for America - POLITICO

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Thanks To…

Guest: Heidi Beirich
Inspiration: The Southern Poverty Law Center for sending me teaching tools about racism when I was a novice teacher in rural South Africa
Producers: Tim Wohlberg & Valerie McTavish

37 episodes