Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, has introduced a new law in the House of Representatives to tackle racist violence and white supremacist conspiracies. The Leading Against White Supremacy Act, first introduced by Jackson Lee in 2022, is intended “to prevent and prosecute white supremacy inspired hate crime and conspiracy to commit white supremacy inspired hate crime.”
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the Leading Against White Supremacy Act is its broad definition of “conspiracy to engage in white supremacy inspired hate crime.” In recent years, online forums and social media, in particular, have been used to radicalize individuals into white supremacist ideology. As Blavity previously reported, the Anti-Defamation League documented white supremacist propaganda nearly doubling in 2020. Under Jackson Lee’s bill, people who propagate racist ideology and conspiracy theories online could be held legally responsible when individuals commit violence because they are inspired to do so by such online material.
In condemning hate speech in general, the proposed law also specifically references “replacement theory” as a white supremacist ideology applicable to the law. Replacement theory refers to a set of conspiracy theories that claim white people in the United States or other Western societies are being purposely replaced by immigrants or members of various minority groups. This ideology has inspired numerous acts of violence, such as the May 2022 mass shooting at a supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood in Buffalo, New York, that left 10 people dead.
Right-wing media has already singled out Rep. Jackson Lee and her legislation for ridicule. Fox News host Tucker Carlson, who has a history of sharing racist conspiracy theories, has condemned Jackson Lee and the proposed law. Conservative journalist Glenn Greenwald objected to the new regulation, criminalizing hate speech as “a way to circumvent the First Amendment.” Both the Leading Against White Supremacy Act and H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop Reparation Proposals for African Americans Act, face significant opposition from Republicans and are thus unlikely to pass this year.
Despite such opposition, the advocacy of people like Rep. Jackson Lee will continue highlighting the long history and ongoing reality of racist oppression and violence in America. With online hate expanding and racist violence continuing to terrorize Black Americans and other targeted populations, additional measures to combat such hatred remain crucial.
