White Revolution
White Revolution
LEADER: Billy Roper
YEAR ESTABLISHED OR BECAME ACTIVE: September 18, 2002
ESTIMATED SIZE: 1,000
USUAL AREA OF OPERATION: United States
OVERVIEW
White Revolution is a neo-Nazi, white supremacist group that considers the white race best fitted to rule the other races. White Revolution was formed in West Virginia on September 18, 2002, by Billy Joe Roper II. It was soon moved to its present headquarters in Russellville, Arkansas. According to its Web site, its slogan is "The Only Solution," and its symbol is an upside down "V" painted in red (blood), black (earth), white (race), and gold (sun) used to represent ancient Greece, which, in Roper's opinion, is the cultural pinnacle of the white race.
One of the primary purposes of Roper's organization is to promote cooperation between right-wing extremist groups and to assemble into one coalition all such groups, especially those disgruntled with the white power movement. In his capacity, Roper hopes to act as the coordinator in organizing multi-group extremist events—a task that Roper feels is often too big for any one group to handle.
HISTORY
For two years beginning in 2000, Roper was successful in his job as deputy membership coordinator for the neo-Nazi organization, National Alliance, a leading white supremacist group founded by William Pierce. Roper held a high-profile position as he gave press interviews, coordinated activities for its units, and built alliances with other extremist groups.
However, Roper was fired on September 16, 2002. According to the May 2004 article, "Hate Group Leaflets Turn Up in Metuchen," written by Bryan Sabella of the Edison, New Jersey, Sentinel, a power struggle between different factions occurred after the death of Pierce. Its new leader, Erich Gliebe, did not like that Roper set up coalitions with skinheads, who Gliebe and Pierce despised. Roper also promoted associations with other extremist groups, which National Alliance leaders frequently rejected.
Ramifications were noticed throughout the right-wing extremist community because Roper was viewed as a likeable and effective communicator and problem-solver. According to the 2002 article, "A Group is Born," from the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), Roper started White Revolution on September 18, 2002, with about 100 activists (among them nearly 30 former National Alliance members), thousands of supporters, and endorsements from many white supremacist leaders. According to the SPLC, Roper charged $10 per month for a membership, which included membership in various other extremist groups. The requirements included being age eighteen or above, drug-free, and heterosexual, having no non-white dependents, and being totally of white European ancestry.
In its first full year, White Revolution sponsored several rallies such as a pro-white demonstration in Montgomery, Alabama; a Remember the Alamo anti-immigration rally in San Antonio, Texas; anti-invasion demonstrations in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Chicago, Illinois; and a regional meeting in Fort Smith, Arkansas.
By 2004, Roper was actively speaking at various public extremist events. Roper spoke of his strong convictions such as opposing the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, because it combined athletes of different races. One of the most successful events sponsored by White Revolution, according to the 2002 article, "Revolting in Arkansas," by the Southern Poverty Law Center, was a sixty-five-person rally at the Montgomery, Alabama, SPLC headquarters.
In 2005, White Revolution held joint events or co-sponsored rallies with such groups as Aryan Nations, the Creativity Movement, factions of the Ku Klux Klan, National Socialist Movement, and White Aryan Resistance. That same year, former National Alliance attorney Victor Gerhard joined White Revolution after disagreeing with activities associated with his former organization. Gerhard also brought in his business, Condor Legion Ordinance—a racist paraphernalia business that is in direct competition with Resistance Records, a subsidiary of National Alliance.
PHILOSOPHY AND TACTICS
The philosophy of Roper, which he pursues through White Revolution, is to assure that the white race exists in the future. According to Chuck McCutcheon, the author of the July 2004 article, "Right-Wing Extremist Groups Becoming More Active After Post-9/11 Lull," Roper is not concerned with whether or not White Revolution continues to exist in the future. Rather, Roper is focused on the more important goal—that of assuring the continued existence of the white race. Roper considers that, at present, the U.S. government and other such governments are denying the white race the right to survive.
According to the Sabella article, Roper's ultimate goal is to combine all white supremacist groups under one organization. However, in the group's beginning stages, Roper admitted that his organization is simply expanding its member-ship roster as it competes for members with other whites-only groups.
The mission statement of White Revolution, taken from its web site, includes the admission that the white race is growing smaller both in the United States and throughout the world. As a result, Roper is against unregulated non-white immigration into the United States because—as he declares from projected demographic studies—such activities will result in whites becoming a minority by 2025. In order to regain control of the white fate, members of White Revolution hope to establish a government within the United States whose priority is the preservation of the white race.
LEADERSHIP
BILLY ROPER
Born in 1972, Roper was a skinhead as a teenager. At that time, he claimed that three generations of his family had been members of the Ku Klux Klan. After receiving his Master's in History, Roper became a high-school history teacher. In 2000, Roper was employed with National Alliance, becoming its organizer under the job title of deputy membership coordinator. Often described as gregarious, articulate, dedicated, and hard-working, Roper found this job ideal as he quickly helped the organization become one of the largest, most popular, and best-run domestic neo-Nazi organizations in North America. However, his policies did not always match with the group's policies. He was fired in 2002 but quickly formed his own white supremacist group, White Revolution. As of 2005, Roper continues to be the founding leader of the successful and rapidly growing white supremacist organization.
As reported on its web site, Roper conjectures that the multimedia industry, government agencies, and other related organizations are controlled primarily by Jews, who intend to influence and control public opinions. As a result, Roper and his White Revolution organization are anti-Semitic, along with being anti-Israel and anti-U.S. government.
As of 2005, leaders realize that because of the group's size, it is only able to educate and organize its members. Its long-term goal, however, is to eventually be large and strong enough to openly confront its enemies. Roper realizes that the group's best tactic is to act peacefully and legally by distributing written materials and using emails, its web site, videos, and other communications methods to publicize its positions. However, Roper suggests that violence may be necessary at some future point.
According to the November 24, 2004, article, "Police Say White Revolution Racist Flyers 'Not Illegal,'" from The Monroe Courier in Shelton, Connecticut, Roper is attempting to establish units in the eastern United States because, in his mind, its white citizens rebel quickly when freedoms are threatened. However, White Revolution membership in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern regions is still limited. It has been most active in the following sixteen states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and West Virginia.
OTHER PERSPECTIVES
Leaders of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) stated that, during White Revolution's first two years of existence, it evolved from a small group in a rural area of Arkansas to the largest and most active extremist organization in the state.
Morris Dees, SPLC co-founder and its chief trial lawyer, once called Roper a person who has enough ambition to become the most influential neo-Nazi leader in the United States. Similarly, ADL member Mark Pitcavage stated that he seriously considers Roper a potential future leader for the white-supremacist movement. In an interview conducted by Pitcavage, Roper explained that his two-fold goal is to end the feuding between many extremist groups and to counter the influence of Jews, African Americans, and other minorities. Roper went on to say that whites have as much right to fight for their rights as other groups.
Shai Goldstein, a member of the New Jersey ADL chapter, said in the Sabella article that White Revolution philosophy is essentially the same as other white power groups: that world problems are caused by Jews and that the United States promotes the Jewish position through its businesses, governments, and general society.
KEY EVENTS
- 2000:
- Roper begins job as deputy membership coordinator for National Alliance.
- 2002:
- Roper is fired from his National Alliance job.
- 2002:
- White Revolution is founded by Billy Roper in West Virginia, and soon moved to Arkansas.
- 2004:
- White Revolution evolves in just two years as one of the most active right-wing extremist group in the United States
- 2005:
- Roper emerges as an effective leader who is attempting to unify various white separatists groups through White Revolution.
As when he first started White Revolution, Roper remains well respected within the white power community, with members liking his outgoing and pleasant personality that many feel could strengthen their cause. In fact, Matt Bishop, a former member and leader of White Revolution, once compared Roper to a present-day Adolph Hitler because he is a charismatic and well-spoken leader with devotion to his cause and knowledgeable when dealing with the media. In The Arkansas Times article, "A Young Skinhead Makes a Conversion—Of Sorts" by David Koon, Bishop states that Roper is a type of leader who can likely succeed in joining together the different factions of the white power movement.
SUMMARY
White Revolution has been successful in its activities to unite the movement. With many influential leaders in prison, recently deceased, or aging, the charismatic Roper has been able to greatly influence many white supremacists.
In its first few years of operation, in order to bring cohesion to the white power movement, Roper has placed leaders of other organizations onto his board of directors and in other leadership positions. Although extremist groups do not traditionally have long lifetimes, Roper has so far successfully positioned White Revolution as the leading umbrella organization among the white power culture without threatening the authority of its leaders.
SOURCES
Periodicals
Koon, David. "A Young Skinhead Makes a Conversion—Of Sorts." The Arkansas Times. May 27, 2005.
McCutcheon, Chuck. "Right-Wing Extremist Groups Becoming More Active After Post 9/11 Lull." Newhouse News Service. July 13, 2004.
"Police Say White Revolution Racist Flyers 'Not Illegal.'" Monroe Courier. November 24, 2004.
Sabella, Bryan. "Hate Group Leaflets Turn Up in Metuchen: Community Leaders, Police Describe Distribution as Limited." Sentinel. May 12, 2004.
Web sites
Intelligence Report, Southern Poverty Law Center. "Revolting in Arkansas." 〈http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?pid=214〉 (assessed October 3, 2005).
Intelligence Report, Southern Poverty Law Center. "A Group Is Born: Billy Roper, a Fired National Alliance Official, Has Formed His Own Group Called White Revolution." 〈http://www.splcenter.org/intel/intelreport/article.jsp?sid=53〉 (accessed October 3, 2005).
Law Enforcement Agency Resource Network, Anti-Defamation League. "White Revolution/Billy Roper." 〈http://www.adl.org/learn/ext_us/w_revolution.asp?print=true〉 (assessed October 3, 2005).