The White Christian Nationalist Next Door

Presenter

Lisa Tohline

Campus

Middlesex Community College

Sponsor

Kathleen E. Baker, Department of English, Middlesex Community College

Schedule

Session 3, 1:30 PM - 2:15 PM [Schedule by Time][Poster Grid for Time/Location]

Location

Poster Board A3, Campus Center Auditorium, Row 1 (A1-A20) [Poster Location Map]

Abstract

“… organized hate exists here in Massachusetts” - Governor Maura Healey

Several times in September and August 2023, in the dark of night, in Woburn, in Framingham, in Quincy, in Marlborough, they arrive in masks outside of places where immigrants seeking asylum are being housed. They are mostly from Haiti, families and women and children. Banners are unfurled: “Invaders: Go Home.” “New England is Ours. The Rest Must Go.” NSC-131 claims responsibility; they post pictures of themselves later on social media. The families are forced to move to a new undisclosed hotel for their safety.

WCN is a rising threat in Massachusetts, both in the form of overt hate groups who work to intimidate marginalized populations, and political groups that seek to promote an anti-LGTBQ, anti-inclusive, anti-immigrant platform. Adherents can be your neighbors, school board members, or even state representatives. To combat this insidious threat, it is vital to understand WCN origins, prevalence, demographics, recruitment tactics, and the process of radicalization. This paper delves into WCN's historical roots, and seeks to understand its adherents through analysis of national surveys and statistics. Weaving together information from a broad array of sources, including academic sources, government and national civil rights organizations, local news articles and local monitoring groups, this paper provides examples of WCN activity and strategies used by both overt and political types of WCN groups in Massachusetts. This paper concludes with a variety of mitigation measures that can be taken on national, local, and individual levels.

Keywords

Christian Nationalism, Massachusetts, civil rights, politics, hate groups

Research Area

Conflict and Peace Studies

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