Does the American public really know that much about the "alt-right," the "movement" for white nationalists who are also anti-Semitic, anti-feminist, racist, homophobic and transphobic? According to a recent survey, the answer is no.
The Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan American "fact tank," just released the findings from its latest study, where it asked respondents if they'd "heard of the political movement known as the alt-right."
The results painted a disturbing picture: 54% of respondents said they knew "nothing at all" about the "alt-right," and another 28% said they knew "a little." Only 17% said they knew "a lot" about the movement.
And while the overall findings are alarming, the breakdown of where the American public falls into these categories isn't. Roughly two-thirds of liberal Democrats had heard of it, compared to 39% of moderate Democrats. In contrast, only about 40% of all Republicans surveyed had heard of it in some form or another.
Additionally, only 17% of Republicans who said they'd heard of the "alt-right" connected the terms "white supremacy" or "white nationalism" to it, compared to 47% of Democrats.
Why is it so important for Americans to know about the "alt-right"? As Southern Poverty Law Center President Richard Cohen said in a statement, “The alt-right...is simply a rebranding of white nationalism.” Its supporters believe that it's their duty to "ethnically cleanse" countries they deem "white nations." Much of this movement also involves getting rid of minorities, Jews and members of the LGBTQ population.
Because president-elect Donald Trump has done virtually nothing to eradicate the movement's support for him (and in many cases egged them on), it appears their hateful message will only grow in intensity after Trump takes office.
The question is, will you let yourself be uneducated on the issue?
Related: What the Alt-Right Is
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