Southern Poverty Law Center history

In 1979, when the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) disrupted a civil rights gathering in Decatur, Alabama, SPLC filed a civil suit.

In 1981, the Center began its Klanwatch project to monitor the activities of the KKK. That project, now called Hatewatch, was later expanded to include seven other types of hate organizations.

In 1986, the entire legal staff of the SPLC, excluding Dees, resigned as the organization shifted from traditional civil rights work toward fighting right-wing extremism.

In 1989, the Center unveiled its Civil Rights Memorial, which was designed by Maya Lin.

The Center's "Teaching Tolerance" project was initiated in 1991.

In 1995, the Montgomery Advertiser won a Pulitzer Prize recognition for work that probed management self-interest, questionable practices, and employee racial discrimination allegations in the SPLC.

In 2001 the Web site Tolerance.org was created to further support antibias activism and dismantle bigotry through a collection of online guides and resources.

In 2008, the SPLC and Dees were featured on National Geographic's Inside American Terror explaining their litigation strategy against the Ku Klux Klan.

In 2013 "Teaching Tolerance" was cited as "of the most widely read periodicals dedicated to diversity and social justice in education".

In 2016, the SPLC's "ranks swelled" and its "endowment surged" after President Donald Trump was elected, resulting in the hiring of 200 new employees.

In 2018, The SPLC filed suits related to the conditions of incarceration for adults and juveniles.