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Distribution of white supremacist fliers, leaflets and stickers on college campuses reached an all-time high last year, according to new data released by the Anti-Defamation League this week.
The U.S.-based international organization, which fights anti-Semitism and hate directed at other specific groups of people, reported that white supremacist propaganda distribution more than doubled in the United States in 2019 and totaled 2,713 reported cases nationwide, compared to 1,214 reported cases in 2018. One-quarter of the incidents, about 630, were reported on college and university campuses, compared to 320 campus incidents reported nationwide in 2018. A total of 433 campuses in 43 states and the District of Columbia were targeted in 2019.
The ADL "also documented 2,083 off-campus incidents in 2019 -- a 133 percent increase from the 894 off-campus incidents counted in 2018."
The total number marks the highest year on record for such activity and reflects "a substantial increase of incidents both on- and off-campus," the organization said in a press release. The propaganda literature distribution represented an average of more than four per day, and every state except Hawaii reported at least one incident. The messaging targeted Jewish people, black people, Muslims, nonwhite immigrants and the LGBTQ community. According to the organization's map, the highest activity was reported in California, Florida, Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Texas, Virginia and Washington.
Even as "fliering, leafleting and stickering" went up last year, the ADL documented 20 percent fewer white supremacist events on college campuses in 2019 than 2018 -- they declined from 95 to 76 events -- and fewer flash demonstrations, which dropped from 43 to 26.
