Dear Friend,

Welcome to our website. I appreciate your taking time to visit and hope you find useful information here.

When Joe Levin and I founded the Southern Poverty Law Center in 1971, we never dreamed our small civil rights law firm would one day touch the lives of thousands of people across the country.

In those early years, enthusiasm for the Civil Rights Movement had waned. Many lawyers who had helped bring suits for racial justice had gone back North. We had little or no local support as we took on powerful interests who didn't want the status quo changed.

But we did not work alone. There were individuals who shared our mission, and they supported our work from afar. We mailed letters, describing the desperate needs of our clients, and thousands of caring people throughout the country responded with their financial contributions. This allowed us to expand our civil rights litigation and to implement new programs to fight hate and intolerance.

We never imagined that one day technology would bring us a magical medium like the Internet that would make communication with our friends just a click away.

Unfortunately, many of the problems that led to our founding remain with us today. Our legal department has had important courtroom victories against white supremacists, but bigotry and hate still permeate our society.

We started our Teaching Tolerance program because we want to strike at the root causes of hate, countering hate before it erupts in destructive ways. Our award-winning magazine and teaching kits have helped thousands of educators foster respect and democratic ideals in their classrooms.

Today our materials are also online, available to anyone with access to a computer. Activists who want to make a difference in their community can visit Tolerance.org for a wealth of ideas and resources. Law enforcement officers can come to our online Intelligence Project for information on hate crimes and hate groups.

I encourage you to be a part of the Center's crucial work for tolerance and justice. Use our website to report hate activity in your community. Encourage your local schools and community groups to use our Teaching Tolerance materials. Tell your family and friends about this website.

You can also help by making your own financial contribution. Together, we can make a difference.

MORRIS DEES