What is the difference between the ADL and the SPLC?

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) are both U.S.-based organizations focused on combating hate, discrimination, and extremism, but they differ in their origins, focus, and methods. Here’s a breakdown:

1. Founding and History

• ADL (Anti-Defamation League)

  • Founded: 1913

  • Origin: Established by the B’nai B’rith, a Jewish service organization, in response to rising antisemitism, particularly the wrongful conviction of Leo Frank, a Jewish man, in a highly publicized case.

  • Initial Goal: To fight antisemitism and protect the rights of Jewish people.

• SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center)

  • Founded: 1971

  • Origin: Created by civil rights lawyers Morris Dees, Joseph J. Levin Jr., and Julian Bond in Montgomery, Alabama, during the Civil Rights Movement.

  • Initial Goal: To address racial injustice, particularly in the South, by providing legal support to victims of discrimination and challenging systemic racism.

2. Mission and Focus

• ADL

  • Primary Focus: Combating antisemitism and all forms of bigotry, including racism, homophobia, and other prejudices, with a special emphasis on protecting Jewish communities.

  • Scope: Broadens to advocate for civil rights, fight hate crimes, and promote inclusivity across all groups, but retains a core focus on antisemitism.

  • Global Reach: Addresses international issues like antisemitism in Europe, the Middle East, and beyond.

• SPLC

  • Primary Focus: Fighting hate groups, racial injustice, and systemic inequality, with a historical emphasis on dismantling white supremacist organizations (e.g., the Ku Klux Klan).

  • Scope: Targets hate groups of all kinds (white supremacists, neo-Nazis, anti-immigrant groups, etc.), monitors their activities, and advocates for marginalized communities, especially racial minorities.

  • U.S.-Centric: Primarily focuses on domestic issues within the United States.

3. Methods and Activities

• ADL

  • Education and Training: Provides programs to educate schools, law enforcement, and communities about bias, antisemitism, and extremism.

  • Policy and Advocacy: Lobbies for hate crime laws, anti-discrimination policies, and legislation to protect civil rights.

  • Research: Tracks antisemitic incidents (e.g., through its annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents) and monitors hate groups and online hate speech.

  • Technology: Focuses on combating online harassment and extremism, working with tech companies to address hate on platforms.

• SPLC

  • Legal Action: Files lawsuits against hate groups, discriminatory policies, and institutions to bankrupt or dismantle them (e.g., landmark cases against the KKK).

  • Hate Group Tracking: Publishes an annual "Hate Map" and reports identifying active hate groups and extremist organizations in the U.S.

  • Education: Offers resources like the "Teaching Tolerance" (now rebranded as "Learning for Justice") program to promote diversity and equity in schools.

  • Advocacy: Works to expose and challenge systemic racism, voter suppression, and economic inequality.

4. Reputation and Criticism

• ADL

  • Praise: Widely respected for its long history of fighting antisemitism, tracking hate crimes, and promoting civil rights.

  • Criticism: Some critics, particularly from progressive or pro-Palestinian groups, accuse the ADL of conflating criticism of Israel with antisemitism, alleging an overly broad definition of the latter. Others question its partnerships with law enforcement or tech companies.

• SPLC

  • Praise: Lauded for its legal victories against hate groups and its detailed tracking of extremist organizations.

  • Criticism: Some argue the SPLC overreaches by labeling certain conservative or controversial groups as "hate groups," raising concerns about free speech. Internal controversies, including allegations of workplace discrimination and leadership issues in 2019, have also drawn scrutiny.

5. Key Outputs

• ADL:

  • Annual Audit of Antisemitic Incidents

  • Reports on extremism, cyberhate, and global antisemitism

  • Tools like the "Hate Symbols Database"

• SPLC:

  • Annual Hate Map and list of active hate groups

  • "Learning for Justice" educational materials

  • Legal victories and reports on extremism

Summary

• ADL: Older (1913), rooted in fighting antisemitism, with a broader focus on all bigotry, global in scope, and heavily engaged in education, policy, and online hate.

• SPLC: Newer (1971), born from the Civil Rights Movement, focused on racial justice and dismantling hate groups, U.S.-centric, and known for legal action and hate group monitoring.

Both organizations overlap in their fight against hate but differ in their origins, primary concerns, and approaches.