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QAnon conspiracy theory tying ‘Satanic Panic’ to the Super Bowl halftime show grounded in racial bigotry, CSUSB professor says
KCSB Radio (San Francisco)
Feb. 12, 2022
Before the Feb. 13 Super Bowl and its halftime show featuring hip-hop artists Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre and others, Brian Levin, director of CSUSB’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, was interviewed about right-wing conspiracy theories that said the show would have a “hefty dose of Satanism. Extremism experts and historians say this fear-mongering highlights the connection between QAnon and the Satanic Panic of the 1980s and ’90s, especially when it comes to Black artists and performers.”
Levin said the idea was grounded in racial bigotry. “It’s unfortunate that this kind of ‘astroturfing,’ which allows other types of stereotypes to come up, it all gets caught up in a tsunami of bigotry, which also includes other people who are vulnerable or in the numerical minority.”
Listen to the interview at “The Satanic Panic rises again in QAnon theories about the Super Bowl halftime show.”
CSUSB professor provides insight on extremist group Patriot Front
KPBS Radio (San Diego)
Feb. 11, 2022
Brian Levin, director of CSUSB’s Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism, was interviewed for a segment about the a U.S. Marine reservist and son of a former San Diego County Republican Party leader who sought to affiliate with the extremist group Patriot Front.
Brian Levin, director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino, called the Patriot Front the “public face” of white nationalism.
“They are the worst of the worst,” Levin said. “And there's no way that someone who is a Marine should be involved in this because it violates their oath to uphold the Constitution.”
Levin said Patriot Front heavily recruits current or past service members because they’re often disgruntled and know how to use weapons. He added that reservists are especially appealing because they can go home at the end of the day and dwell in “echo chambers of hate” without fellow platoon members noticing.
Read the complete article at “Former GOP leader’s son allegedly sought affiliation with hate group that recruits military members.”
CSUSB professor points to sharp increase in anti-Asian hate crime as Occidental College deals with fallout from hate texts targeting Asians
Inside Higher Ed
Feb. 14, 2022
In an article about anti-Asian text messages shared on social media at Occidental College comes against the back drop of a sharp increase in anti-Asian hate crimes, according to a study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at Cal State San Bernardino.
“Anti-Asian hate crimes are up 342% in our multi-city survey and we tend to find the most in major coastal/adjacent cities that are densely populated, with significantly higher proportional Asian population widespread use of public transportation and the presence of group-identified gathering places (e.g. ‘Koreatown’ or landmarks),” center director Brian Levin said via email.
Levin also noted that 2021 hate crime data in the report are preliminary and subject to change.
Read the article at “Racist text messages create stir at Occidental College.”
The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism’s was also highlighted in the following article:
CSUSB center’s forthcoming report on hate crimes indicates 2020 was worst year for anti-Black hate crimes since 2008
The New York Times via Yahoo! News
Feb. 13, 2022
While racism was not the focus of the state criminal trial that resulted in the conviction of three men in the death of Ahmaud Arbery, who was killed while jogging through a Brunswick, Ga., neighborhood in February 2020, it be in the spotlight in a federal hate crimes case against them that begins the week of Feb. 14.
A forthcoming study by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino notes that the number of anti-Black hate crimes in 2020 was the highest recorded since 2008, the year of Barack Obama’s presidential win.
These news clips and others may be viewed at “In the Headlines.”