Looking at Hate, for this post of After Hours – Hate and the people who do the hating, as described in this 1964 broadcast of The Open Mind, featuring a discussion with John Slawson, Executive vice-President of The American Jewish Committee – Louis Lomax, author of When The Word Is Given (a study of the Black Muslims) – Gunnar Myrdal, author of An American Dilemma and Dr. David Abrahamson, author of On The Road To Emotional Maturity.
The assassination of President Kennedy in November 1963 occurred during a period of already intense political tension in the United States. The early 1960s were marked by conflict over civil rights, Cold War anxieties, and the fear of ideological subversion. In the months following the assassination, the atmosphere of uncertainty and political polarization helped stimulate renewed activity among extremist and hate-oriented groups. While the assassination itself did not directly create these movements, it contributed to an environment in which radical organizations—particularly on the far right—expanded their influence and visibility.
One of the most prominent hate organizations during this period was the Ku Klux Klan. Although far smaller than its peak during the 1920s, the Klan experienced a resurgence during the civil rights era as white supremacists mobilized against racial integration and federal civil rights legislation. The largest faction, the United Klans of America, reached an estimated 26,000 to 33,000 members by 1965, making it the largest Klan organization of the decade. Violence and intimidation carried out by Klan members—including church bombings and murders of civil rights activists—reflected the deep resistance among some Americans to social change.
Alongside the Klan were smaller neo-Nazi and ultra-nationalist groups such as the American Nazi Party led by George Lincoln Rockwell and the National Renaissance Party. These organizations attracted relatively small memberships—often numbering in the hundreds—but they gained disproportionate publicity through provocative demonstrations, propaganda, and political agitation. Studies of the period show that right-wing organizations overall were growing at roughly 17 percent annually through the early 1960s, partly as a reaction against the civil rights movement and perceived liberal trends in American politics.
When examining ideological distribution, the overwhelming majority of hate groups in the United States during the mid-1960s were associated with the far right rather than the far left. Right-wing groups—primarily white supremacist, segregationist, and ultra-nationalist movements—made up the dominant portion of extremist organizations. Left-wing radicalism did exist, but it generally took a different form. Groups such as anti-war student movements or revolutionary organizations tended to frame their struggle around anti-imperialism, capitalism, or opposition to the Vietnam War rather than racial hatred. Organized far-left groups did not become significant sources of violent extremism until later in the decade and early 1970s. As a result, estimates from historians typically suggest that roughly three-quarters or more of identifiable hate-based extremist groups in the early 1960s were right-wing in ideology.
The American situation had parallels in Europe during the same period. In countries such as West Germany, Italy, and France, small neo-fascist movements emerged after World War II. These groups often drew ideological inspiration from fascism and Nazism, much like American neo-Nazi organizations. However, European governments tended to suppress them more aggressively because of the continent’s recent experience with fascist regimes. In contrast, the United States’ constitutional protections for speech and association allowed extremist organizations to operate more openly, though they were frequently monitored by the FBI.
In summary, the period immediately following the Kennedy assassination saw heightened public anxiety and political polarization that helped extremist movements gain attention and recruits. Although the numbers of such groups were relatively small compared with mainstream political organizations, their visibility increased during the mid-1960s. Most were far-right movements tied to white supremacy and resistance to civil rights reforms, while far-left extremist organizations remained comparatively limited until later in the decade. The phenomenon mirrored similar ideological fringes in Europe, illustrating how periods of political uncertainty often create fertile ground for radical and hate-based movements.
Here is that one-hour discussion on the subject of Hate and Haters as broadcast in 1964.