By Bill Britt
The FBI’s 2023 report on hate crimes paints a grim picture of rising intolerance across the United States, revealing a surge to 11,862 incidents—the highest ever recorded since tracking began in the early 1990s. This marks a two percent increase from 2022, with Black and Jewish communities continuing to bear the brunt of the violence.
Particularly alarming is the 63 percent increase in antisemitic incidents, with 1,832 hate crimes targeting Jewish Americans, making them the primary victims of religious-based offenses. Hate crimes against the LGBTQ+ community saw a seven percent spike, largely driven by bias against gender identity and sexual orientation. Racial bias remained the top motivator, especially against Black Americans, alongside notable rises in crimes against Muslims and Arabs.
Alabama, too, is caught in the undertow of this national trend. While the state saw a slight decrease in hate crime incidents from 2021’s 255 to 244 in 2022, the numbers remain deeply concerning. According to FBI data, the majority of these crimes—58.2 percent—were driven by racial or ethnic bias, disproportionately targeting Black Alabamians. Religion-based offenses accounted for 27.4 percent, with antisemitic and anti-Muslim incidents being especially prevalent. Crimes rooted in sexual orientation made up 8.2 percent of the total, while hate crimes based on gender identity and disability were less common but still concerning.
The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) has been vocal about the inadequacy of law enforcement’s response to these rising figures, highlighting significant underreporting, particularly in the Deep South. “Communities at the highest risk—Black, LGBTQ+, and immigrant populations—are not receiving the protection or attention they deserve,” the SPLC warned. The organization called for enhanced community-based prevention programs and mandatory reporting of hate crimes across the state. Extremist ideologies and widespread disinformation, they argue, are driving the increased violence.
