Those glamorous do-gooders are at it again.
In the wake of the race-fueled violence in Charlottesville, Va., George and Amal Clooney’s Clooney Foundation for Justice has given a $1 million grant to help topple domestic hate groups.
The actor/producer and his wife, an international human rights attorney, have partnered with the Alabama-based Southern Poverty Law Center to “increase the capacity of the SPLC to combat hate groups in the United States,” according to a statement from the center.
“We are proud to support the Southern Poverty Law Center in its efforts to prevent violent extremism in the United States,” the couple said in a statement. “What happened in Charlottesville, and what is happening in communities across our country, demands our collective engagement to stand up to hate.”
The couple, who wed in 2014 and welcomed twins this summer, established the Clooney Foundation for Justice in 2016 to advance justice in courtrooms, classrooms and communities around the world. They also serve as its presidents.
What happened in Charlottesville, and what is happening in communities across our country, demands our collective engagement to stand up to hate.
The SPLC is a nonprofit, civil rights organization that monitors the activities of domestic hate groups and other extremists. It has won court judgments against 10 major white supremacist organizations and 50 individuals who led them or participated in violent acts, according to the center. It is currently tracking more than 1,600 extremist groups operating in the U.S.
“Like George and Amal Clooney, we were shocked by the size, ugliness and ferocity of the white supremacist gathering in Charlottesville,” said SPLC President Richard Cohen. “It was a reflection of just how much Trump’s incendiary campaign and presidency has energized the radical right. We are deeply grateful to the Clooney Foundation for standing with us at this critical moment in our country’s fight against hate.”
In July, the Clooney Foundation for Justice partnered with UNICEF to open seven public schools for Syrian refugee children in Lebanon. Amal Clooney also launched a scholarship program in 2015 aimed at helping girls in her native Lebanon.