Social Work Role in Addressing White Nationalism

Overview: White nationalism ideology is a growing phenomenon globally and in the United States. The aim of this poster presentation is to illustrate the processes that are leading to the growth of white nationalist movements; and share how social work can combat the growth of white nationalism.Proposal text: Globally the rise of hateful acts is on a marked increase. Today there are at least 900 hate groups in the United States espousing beliefs associated with white nationalism which have doubled in the United States. This increase of racial injustice has led to more bullying, vandalism and violence in school, colleges, and universities, including synagogues, mosques, black churches, Latinx venues, and ethnic cultural organizations across the country. White nationalist extremism and explicit hate have led to deadly consequences. In August of 2017 groups affiliated with white nationalism collected in Charlottesville outside the University of Virginia. Tiki torch-wielding men shouted slogans like “white lives matter”, "Jews will not replace us”, and "blood and soil" with a person killed in the protest who was run over by a car. President Trump later said, “there are good people on both sides” which was seen as a dog whistle to white nationalists and angered many people working to address racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia, and xenophobia. On August 3, 2019, a massacre left 22 people dead, and dozens wounded in a Walmart in Texas with the shooter posting an anti-immigrant message on an anonymous extremist online message board, making reference to the Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque shooter who left 51 dead as his inspiration who was also a white nationalist. In April of 2019 a man opened fire in a San Diego synagogue murdering one person, also posting something online, similar to the Christ Church Shooter and praised the 2018 killing of 11 people in a Pittsburgh synagogue. Nine were also killed at a black church in South Carolina in 2015 by someone espousing white supremacist views. White nationalist extremist attacks account for the vast majority of all terror-related instances in the United States since September 11, 2001.

Due to the threat that white nationalist extremists pose especially to individuals and communities of color, religious minorities, and the LGBTQIA+ community, social work has an ethical responsibility to engage this threat on the front lines through both activism and the provision of services. Social workers, mental health/health providers, advocacy and community building/development organizations need to play a more active and vocal role in condemning and addressing white nationalism head on. Social work professional, practitioners, educators and researchers, and clinicians can benefit from direct partnerships with individuals and institutions in other countries that face similar situations and challenges to learn how they are addressing white nationalism pro-actively. Social workers must play a leading role in development of mental health and trauma counseling for communities that have been impacted by the trauma of white nationalism rhetoric, vandalism, and violence. Social justice education in public schools, colleges, and universities on how to counter white nationalist ideology must be an area that social workers commit to.

This e-poster will discuss white nationalism’s:
A. Historical underpinnings
B. Far-right influence
C. Causes and consequences of the white nationalist movement
D. Radicalization strategies
E. Social work role to address white nationalism