Hatewatch began as a library guide at Harvard University and has grown into an independent international organization devoted to tracking the spread of hate groups online. Hatewatch is anti‐censorship; their goal is to keep people informed of the online activities of bigoted groups. The quotation at the head of Hatewatch’s page illustrates their philosophy: “How it infuriates a bigot, when he is forced to drag out his dark convictions” ‐ Logan Pearsall Smith. The site is updated frequently and offers a great deal of information for a variety of patrons, from those with a casual interest to those who are doing more in‐depth research.
One particularly useful section is called In the News. Here, one can find full‐text articles dealing with hate crimes and hate groups from newspapers around the world. This feature is particularly useful for those without access to good newspaper indexes or to international newspapers. However, even those with such access may appreciate the full‐text feature.
In the Online Bigotry section, Hatewatch offers links to a wide array of Web sites which are classified by country and by category. Eighteen countries are represented, including the USA, the UK and Germany, along with others such as Spain, Uruguay, and South Africa. Categories include groups such as Neo‐Nazi, anti‐Arab, racist skinheads, Holocaust denial, anti‐gay, and black racists. Racist music is also covered, with numerous links to skinhead and “white power” bands.
The Online Bigotry section also contains a collection called Hate Books Online, which consists of links to full‐text versions of books and articles available on the Internet, such as a translation of Hitler’s Mein Kampf and Henry Ford’s The International Jew. Other features include a “who’s who” with links to information on various leaders in hate movements and a collection of symbols of hate. This segment shows various icons, logos, and numbers used by hate groups.
A multimedia section offers interviews with people involved in the groups’ Hatewatch targets, as well as activists who work against them. Items available include interviews with David Duke, Rev. Matt Hale, and Rev. Fred Phelps, among others. Note that Real Audio and Real Video Player are required to access these segments.
In addition to tracking the activities of bigoted groups, Hatewatch is committed to promoting groups who work against hate crimes and hate speech. In the Activist Center, one can find a listing of ISPs such as America OnLine and Geocities, which do not permit any defamatory materials. The Activist Center also offers links to research centers and institutions, such as the Institute for the Study of Academic Racism; the Center for the Study of Race, Politics and Culture at the University of Chicago; and the Center for the Study of Ethnic and Racial Violence. One can also find links to civil rights organizations, information on hate crime laws in each of the 50 United States, a list of recommended books, and information on subscribing to Hatewatch’s Community Chat and the Hatewatch‐L e‐mail discussion group.
Hatewatch pulls together an impressive amount of material which could prove very useful for people looking for information about hate crime laws, various racist and activist organizations, and full‐text materials. The site is well‐organized, updated frequently and, it appears, is offering a unique service on the Internet. Some of the material linked by Hatewatch will certainly offend some people; but the page is recommended as a resource for those needing information about these topics.
