MLK Niece Alveda King Criticizes SPLC at House Hearing

A House Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday examining the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was marked by a heated personal exchange and sharp partisan divisions over the organization's practices and purpose. The hearing, titled "The Southern Poverty Law Center: Manufacturing Hate, Part II," featured testimony from Dr. Alveda King, the niece of Martin Luther King Jr., who delivered a forceful critique of the civil rights group.

King, a conservative activist and chair of the Center for the American Dream at the America First Policy Institute, testified that she was troubled by organizations that claim to fight hatred while profiting from division. She argued that the SPLC's actions fuel racial tension and called for transparency regarding its use of donor funds. Her testimony referenced a federal superseding indictment alleging the SPLC funneled millions of dollars to individuals connected to extremist groups, including neo-Nazi and Ku Klux Klan organizations, as part of a confidential informant program.

The hearing's most contentious moment occurred when Representative Jasmine Crockett, a Democrat from Texas, questioned the Republican committee members' decision to invite...