The Southern Poverty Law Center announced it laid off over 60 employees on Wednesday. The left-wing non-profit said the move is necessary to “streamline” its operations and focus more intently on promoting “racial justice.”
“We announced internally the consolidation of certain programs and activities as well as the elimination of others, resulting in staff reductions,” the SPLC said in a statement. “This was a difficult but necessary decision to focus and align our work with our programmatic priorities and goals.”
“We deeply value the contributions of all our staff and their commitment to ensuring the promise of equal justice is a reality for all.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center’s employee union, who lost its chairman and five stewards to the cuts, rallied against the layoffs.
“Are these the actions of an organization fighting for racial justice in the deep South?” the group wrote on X. “How will today’s layoffs help us achieve our goals of fighting hate, incarcerating Black and Brown people, defending democracy, and eradicating poverty? The answer is: they won’t.”
“SPLC’s decision has a catastrophic impact on the organization’s work in support of immigrants seeking justice and its mission to dismantle white supremacy, strengthen intersectional movements and advance human rights through support of educators.”
The union, doesn’t believe that the timing of the layoffs is coincidental.
“We are devastated for our union and for our colleagues,” the union posted. Separately, the union said SPLC has nearly $1 billion in reserves and is facing allegations of “hoarding” donations while “gutting its staff by a quarter.”
Today, @splcenter – an organization with nearly a billion dollars in reserves, given an F rating by CharityWatch for “hoarding” donations – gutted its staff by a quarter.
— SPLC Union (@SPLCUnion) June 12, 2024
“Management’s goals here are clear, but they will not win. Our Union is strong.”
Austen Shipley is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can follow him @ShipleyAusten
