Plot Synopsis

In each episode of HATE IN AMERICA, journalist Tony Harris showcases a story from the case files of the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) that has forever changed the face of hate within society. Founded by Morris Dees, the SPLC, a civil rights organization that has been fighting hate and bigotry through litigation and education, has has been tracking hate groups across the country for more than four decades. Targeting the nearly 800 active hate groups currently operating in this country - from KKK members, to racist skinheads, to neo-Nazis and religious fundamentalists -- the SPLC exposes and brings to justice organizations that target entire classes of people for their race, religion, and sexuality, among other immutable characteristics. Investigation Discovery first aired HATE IN AMERICA as a one-hour special on Monday, February 23, 2015 at 8pm ET/PT. This one-hour special features three cases: the racially charged murder of a black father in Mississippi who died after being beaten and run over; the gruesome mass shooting of a Wisconsin Sikh congregation; and a brutal anti-gay attack on the streets of New York City. As Harris explores the motivations behind hate, he hears from a spectrum of advocates for change, including victims' loved ones, community leaders, civil rights attorneys, SPLC's founder Morris Dees, and even a former white supremacist -- who now crusades for unity among the races. HATE IN AMERICA is scheduled to premiere as a series on Monday, February 29, 2016 at 8pm ET/PT on Investigation Discovery. In the series opener, "The Klan on Trial," Harris investigates the ground-breaking court cases that transformed the SPLC into such a powerful force, with Dees taking on some of the most violent and dangerous white supremacist groups in US history.