Shiloh Hendrix, a white Rochester, Minnesota woman, made a very different sort of racist controversy this week. A video has recently surfaced of her confessing to using the same racial slur towards a 5-year-old Black child playing at a local park on April 28. The video quickly went viral, drawing the attention of millions and sparking the outraged firestorm that led to her firing. In a politically surprising turn, Hendrix brought in more than $750,000 on the all-Christian crowdfunding platform GiveSendGo. She said that it was done to shield her family from the consequences of her misconduct.
Besides the workability of the campaign ideas, its success is remarkable — over 30,000 people gave to her crowdfunding campaign. Each one of these donations came with usernames that included racial slurs and Nazi symbols. This further details the extremist backing that Hendrix received. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) warns about a troubling trend. They note that anti-Semitic and racist groups are finding new ways to spread their toxic ideologies with the help of this fundraiser.
Mark Dwyer is a research analyst with the ADL’s Center on Extremism. He called Hendrix’s case an “anomaly” in the world of crowdfunding campaigns. He noted that her situation is special, due to the gross, racist slur she dropped. This move has raised both ire and applause from both sides of the aisle.
“Based on social media chatter, this was an empowering moment for white supremacists,” – Mark Dwyer
The response to Hendrix’s video was, not surprisingly, immediate and brutal. Only to have so many people tell her that what she did was evidence of a deeper, overall societal problem with racism and bigotry. Instead of hanging her head and withdrawing, Hendrix drummed up financial support from people who agree with or are sympathetic to her ideas. Unfortunately, this phenomenon is part of a larger, disturbing trend. Even worse, many observers argue that such bigoted acts have been given overt support, particularly in the wake of Donald Trump’s presidency.
Jennifer Chudy, a political scientist who studies race and politics, said in the past few years we have seen a normalization of that racialized discourse. She observed that the increased visibility of leaders, such as former president Trump, has empowered people who used to be able to mask their prejudice.
“I think the person in the White House has emboldened people who may have felt silently sympathetic in the past towards this white woman, to now be more open about it,” – Jennifer Chudy
The dynamics around Hendrix’s crowdfunding campaign show a major change in public attitude. Chudy noted that since Trump’s election, Americans have become more tolerant of explicitly racialized politics. That change is now being felt in public discussions.
Amidst the ongoing conversation about race relations in America, Dwyer pointed out that this pattern is illustrative of a larger trend: people are increasingly voting with their dollars. For most of these donors, supporting Hendrix’s campaign would be their first real dollar spent putting action behind their beliefs.
“People are voting on their views with their dollar. For a lot of people, this might be their first action outside of posting on social media to push their views,” – Mark Dwyer
Hendrix’s video served as a catalyst of courage. It did give hope to those with related biases, convincing them to change their minds too—even if they aren’t white supremacists. Such grassroots recruitment is a testament to the power of online organizing platforms. They create environments for unchallenging audiences where like-minded people feel safe sharing extremist opinions.
Moreover, the ADL called the fundraiser a bidder for spreading hateful ideologies and legitimizing extremist viewpoints. Dwyer said what is most troubling is how these campaigns are able to raise big money while continuing to advance racist and xenophobic narratives.
GiveSendGo has decided to adopt a hands-off approach. They let racism and extremism funded campaigns persist without accountability. Alex Shipley, a spokesperson for the crowdfunding platform, stood by its policies. He laid down a marker that choice in charitable giving was foundational.
“Even in situations where we do not personally agree with an individual’s past actions or beliefs, we still believe in the importance of personal choice,” – Alex Shipley
Shipley noted that GiveSendGo is not a platform of judgment. Rather, it puts the power in their hands to invest in the issues and races they care about. Opponents contend that this strategy allows hate speech and extremist ideologies to spread freely, radicalizing people without restraint.
“They aren’t going to de-platform people, no matter how reprehensible it is,” – Mark Dwyer
Hendrix is not the first individual to become infamous for racist behavior and subsequently receive financial support from the public. This trend is hugely concerning in terms of what it reflects about our society’s priorities and response to hate. The financial support that Hendrix received is an example of the deeply disturbing way that bigotry can often find their real-world backing.
Conversations around race and racism in America are ever-changing. Current developments such as Hendrix’s case serve as a stark reminder that racism is alive and well, able to bring together whites and blacks in fervent support. Crowdfunding campaigns are increasingly coming to the aid of those with extremist ideologies. This alarming movement is an illustration of how hate can earn both social media clout and investors’ dollars.