The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a Jewish nonprofit that polices online hate speech and antisemitism, has updated its “Glossary of Extremism and Hate” to include the term “100%,” which the organization declares is a dangerous symbol promoting White supremacist ideology.
The ADL Center on Extremism maintains its glossary as a way to document and explain symbols and phrases used to promote “extremist or hateful ideologies.” The group’s index includes expected iconography like swastikas, the Iron Cross, the double lighting bolt, and other Nazi imagery. However, it also features thousands of entries for seemingly innocuous things, including the statement “do your own research,” the “George Soros conspiracy,” and the term “red pill.”
The ADL also maintains a sub-category for “Numeric Hate Symbols,” which at various times has declared almost every number between 1 and 100 to be a form of hate speech. Most numbers are flagged for their alphanumeric association (i.e. “88” for “HH,” shorthand for “Heil Hitler”), which makes them popular with various hate groups—but other numbers are deemed problematic for more convoluted reasons.
Learn the benefits of becoming a Valuetainment Member and subscribe today!
Donald Trump Jr. was among the first to call public attention to the glossary’s latest update on Wednesday, calling the ADL “100% F-ing insane” for labeling “100%” a White supremacist symbol.
“This is a term used by virtually anyone discussing probability on a daily basis,” Trump wrote in an X post. “[The ADL] will find racism in anything and everything and it needs to stop now! Enough of this BS!”
The ADL is now saying the term 100% is a white supremacist trope. These people are 100% F-ing insane. This is a term used by virtually anyone discussing probability on a daily basis. They will find racism in anything and everything and it needs to stop now! Enough of this BS! pic.twitter.com/C5ZPYVsyE0
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) March 27, 2024
According to the ADL’s definition:
100% is shorthand among white supremacists for “100% white,” though it is also common for them to write out the entire phrase. Among prison populations and places such as California where peckerwood gangs are common, one might also see “100% peckerwood,” “100% featherwood,” or “100% wood.”
However, following criticism in the wake of Trump’s post, the organization made sure to clarify that “caution must be used in evaluating instances of this symbol’s use, as most uses of this symbol are not, in fact, white supremacist in nature.”
Related: ADL Reports Libs of TikTok to Gov. Counterterrorism Agency for ‘LGBTQ+ Hate’
In the past, the Anti-Defamation League has been criticized for political bias in its glossary additions, primarily accusing right-wing movements and individuals of extremism and hateful conduct—frequently without evidence.
Since his takeover of Twitter, Elon Musk has fought an on-and-off battle with the ADL and its leadership over alleged hate speech and antisemitism on the app. In September, Musk threatened to release documents that would expose the ADL for asking him to censor content, threatened to sue the group for—ironically—defamation, and criticized them for going after “the majority of the West” rather than the “minority groups who are [the Jewish people’s] primary threat.”
Connor Walcott is a staff writer for Valuetainment.com. Follow Connor on X and look for him on VT’s “The Unusual Suspects.”
Add comment