The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) is an American 501(c)(3) nonprofit legal advocacy organization specializing in civil rights and public interest litigation.

Quotes from SPLC’s website:

The SPLC was founded in 1971 to ensure that the promise of the civil rights movement became a reality for all.

The SPLC is a catalyst for racial justice in the South and beyond, working in partnership with communities to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements, and advance the human rights of all people.

Our lawsuits have toppled institutional racism and stamped out remnants of Jim Crow segregation; destroyed some of the nation’s most violent white supremacist groups; and protected the civil rights of children, women, the disabled, immigrants and migrant workers, the LGBTQ community, prisoners, and many others who faced discrimination, abuse or exploitation.

The SPLC is not without controversy; president Richard Cohen and legal director Rhonda Brownstein resigned in 2019 amid allegations of harassment within the organization, after firing founder Morris Dees. In 2020, Margaret Huang, former Chief Executive at Amnesty International USA, was named as president and CEO of the SPLC, who faced a no-confidence motion from staffers in 2024. ^[1]