**Conservative Shareholders Urge Major Corporations to Stop Using Southern Poverty Law Center’s “Hate Map”**
Conservative shareholders at eight major corporations have filed shareholder resolutions urging these companies to cease using politicized tools like the Southern Poverty Law Center’s (SPLC) notorious “hate map.” This call comes after the SPLC added Turning Point USA to its list just months before the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the organization’s founder.
The Heritage Foundation and portfolio manager David Bahnsen, who collectively hold thousands of dollars in shares across these corporations, submitted the proposals last week.
**Heritage Foundation Speaks Out**
Andrew Olivastro, Chief Advancement Officer at the Heritage Foundation, told *The Daily Signal* on Friday:
*“The Southern Poverty Law Center has designated October as Hate Crimes Awareness Month—but few organizations have sown more hatred against fellow Americans than the SPLC itself. It doesn’t fight hate—it manufactures it, embedding division into every press release they issue and every word they post; their business model is defamation, and America is finally waking up.”*
He added, *“Companies are now rightly distancing themselves from the SPLC, recognizing that its model is not only flawed but dangerous.”*
Allen Mendenhall, Senior Advisor for Heritage’s Capital Markets Initiative, also commented, *“As someone who lives in Alabama, right in the SPLC’s backyard, I’ve seen its nefariousness up close. The assassination of Charlie Kirk has made tragically clear what conservatives have warned for years: When groups like the SPLC equate mainstream conservative beliefs with hatred, they help create a culture of dehumanization with deadly consequences.”*
Mendenhall emphasized, *“No company that truly wants to combat hate should rely on the SPLC, which absurdly lumps groups like Turning Point USA and Alliance Defending Freedom with the Ku Klux Klan.”*
**Corporations Targeted by Shareholder Resolutions**
The Heritage Foundation filed resolutions with the following companies:
– Alphabet (Google’s parent company)
– Amazon
– Mastercard
– Meta (Facebook’s parent company)
– PayPal
– Salesforce
– Starbucks
David Bahnsen filed a resolution with Texas Instruments.
Each proposal urges the companies to launch investigations into “the benefits, costs, and legal, reputational, competitive, and other relevant risks of the use of diagnostic tools created by politicized corporate partners.”
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### The Southern Poverty Law Center: Background and Controversy
The SPLC originally gained a strong reputation by suing Ku Klux Klan groups into bankruptcy but in recent years has gained criticism for its “hate map.” This map controversially places mainstream conservative and Christian groups alongside Klan chapters.
A notable tragedy linked to the map was the 2012 attempted mass shooting at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. The attacker reportedly used the SPLC’s designation in targeting the council. Despite condemning the attack, the SPLC still kept the Family Research Council listed on the map.
This summer, the SPLC added Turning Point USA to its “hate map” just months before Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Although the SPLC condemned the assassination, Turning Point remains on the SPLC’s list.
**Expanding the Map**
The SPLC has also expanded its list to include:
– Parental rights groups like Moms for Liberty
– Groups of doctors opposing gender-affirming care
– Conservative Christian nonprofits such as Focus on the Family
– Educational nonprofits like PragerU, known for producing short educational videos
The SPLC’s map has drawn bipartisan criticism; liberals such as former ACLU President Nadine Strossen have joined conservatives in condemning the SPLC’s designations. Yet, many major corporations still adopt the SPLC’s designations as a screening tool, refusing to do business with entities labeled “hateful” or “extremist.”
Earlier this month, FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the FBI had stopped relying on the SPLC, calling the organization a “partisan smear machine.”
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### Shareholder Proposals Spotlight Company-Specific Concerns
**1. Alphabet (Google)**
The shareholder proposal highlights that Google’s YouTube included the SPLC in its “Trusted Flagger” program to police extremist content, from hate speech to terrorist recruiting videos.
A House Judiciary report indicated Alphabet’s involvement in political censorship under a previous administration and its reliance on fact-checking partners to moderate content. The proposal warns that continued support for the SPLC could harm Alphabet’s brand and market value.
**2. Amazon**
Amazon previously relied on SPLC data to vet charities participating in its former AmazonSmile program. The proposal raises concerns about whether Amazon still employs SPLC data elsewhere and the reputational risks of doing so.
**3. Mastercard**
Reports indicate Mastercard has used SPLC guidance to restrict conservative groups such as the David Horowitz Freedom Center. The SPLC openly boasted in congressional testimony that its designation influenced Mastercard’s decision to sever the center’s online fundraising capabilities. The proposal urges transparency on whether Mastercard’s account moderation policies reflect the political neutrality it recently committed to in advertising.
**4. Meta (Facebook)**
Facebook has consulted with the SPLC to police its platform for hate speech and hate groups. In 2018, the SPLC appeared on a list of “external experts and organizations” advising Facebook’s hate speech policies. Although some Facebook representatives have clarified that not all SPLC-designated groups are labeled hateful by Facebook (e.g., Alliance Defending Freedom, ACT for America), the company has not explicitly disavowed the SPLC.
**5. PayPal**
PayPal used the SPLC’s “hate group” list to vet users and enforce account bans and payment restrictions. In 2019, then-CEO Dan Schulman confirmed the company consulted with the SPLC.
**6. Salesforce**
Salesforce has relied on the SPLC’s “hate group” list to enforce technology policy and moderate accounts, including its subsidiary Slack. The company used the SPLC list to identify hate groups and remove hateful material from its platform. Notably, in 2022, Slack banned the Federation for American Immigration Reform, labeled an “anti-immigrant hate group” by the SPLC.
**7. Starbucks**
Starbucks uses SPLC data to vet charities eligible for its Partner Matching Gifts program, explicitly excluding organizations listed on the SPLC’s Hate List.
**8. Texas Instruments**
Texas Instruments reportedly utilizes the SPLC’s hate group list in its employee gift match policies, barring organizations identified by the SPLC from eligibility.
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### Calls for Change and Political Neutrality
The shareholder proposals emphasize the risks associated with reliance on the SPLC’s politicized and often controversial designations. They note that vague and weaponized terms like “hate” have led to real-world violence, including the 2012 Family Research Council shooting and the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
To address these concerns, the proposals encourage companies to develop internal vetting processes aimed at ensuring political neutrality and reducing reputational and legal risks.
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**Conclusion**
The push by conservative shareholders reflects growing discomfort with the SPLC’s influence on corporate policies and highlights the potential dangers of using its divisive “hate map” as a decision-making tool. As awareness rises, companies may face increasing pressure to end their reliance on the SPLC and adopt more balanced, politically neutral approaches to vetting organizations and content.
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*For more updates and analysis, stay tuned to The Daily Signal.*
https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/10/19/manufacturing-hate-conservatives-pressure-companies-drop-ties-splc/