August 2018 – Atlanta Antifascists

Leak of “Elite” Alt-Right Chats Shine Further Light on Casey Jordan Cooper, White Power Leader at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School

Summary: Newly leaked chat logs from an “elite” Alt-Right discussion server reveal additional information on racist leader and Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School student Casey Jordan Cooper. Cooper states that he led the “ATL-Right” group operating in metro Atlanta. Cooper cites white nationalist leader Sam Dickson as an invaluable connection for his future law career and suggests that Dickson may have already helped Cooper get work from smaller law firms. Cooper also celebrates violence at “Unite the Right” in Charlottesville 2017 and spins a grotesque legal fantasy of suing on behalf of white supremacist murderer James Alex Fields, Jr., then using the proceeds to drive Black residents from an Atlanta neighborhood. Although Cooper has been exposed as the author of unequivocal lynching threats, his published comments make it clear he is confident about his future and expects his law career to go unopposed.

This August, the independent journalism collective Unicorn Riot published online chats from the “Vibrant Diversity” Discord server. Discord is a discussion app used by gaming communities but also by white power organizers; Unicorn Riot has published numerous “Alt-Right” Discord chat logs as part of its ongoing “Discord leaks.” The “Vibrant Diversity” chat server was described by one participant as “the most elite discord server in the Alt Right.” Unsurprisingly, racist leader and Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School student Casey Jordan Cooper participated in discussion there, under the moniker “Phoenix – GA”.

Casey Jordan Cooper at Identity Evropa white power rally in Nashville, Tennessee, March 2018

Atlanta Antifascists have already exposed Casey Cooper and his history of racist agitation, including clear lynching threats made against a Black activist in Atlanta. Most recently, we also revealed that during much of 2017 and early 2018 Cooper lived at a Peachtree Hills white nationalist organizing hub owned by racist leader Sam Dickson. Continue reading “Leak of “Elite” Alt-Right Chats Shine Further Light on Casey Jordan Cooper, White Power Leader at Atlanta’s John Marshall Law School”

The Racists on Ridgeland Way: Ground Zero for “Alt-Right” Organizing in Atlanta

Introduction

The house, located on a quiet, affluent street in the Peachtree Hills neighborhood of Buckhead, Atlanta, does not stand out. The comings and goings at 121 Ridgeland Way NE may not attract much neighborhood attention. However, this house is a hub for racist organizing not just for Atlanta, but for the South and arguably the country. It is owned by Sam Glasgow Dickson, a key player in the white nationalist movement. From this building, Dickson and his associates try to build the white power movement, especially its middle-class face. They also make moves in the Atlanta property market, both enriching themselves and building resources for their cause.

RW front — *121 Ridgeland Way NE. (Can you see a subtle algiz rune on the exterior too, or are we trippin’?)*

Our prior coverage of long-time white nationalist leader Sam Dickson includes a detailed article from last year on “Right-Wing Gentrification Gangs.” Apart from some background information and setting out Dickson’s importance within the broader white nationalist movement, we will not duplicate that earlier material here. This article has two purposes. First, we are updating our earlier coverage of Dickson and his white power associates. Second, by setting out five names associated with the Ridgeland Way property in Buckhead, we aim to provide a more complete picture of what goes on at the space, and how this activity fits within the white nationalist movement regionally and nationally. Continue reading “The Racists on Ridgeland Way: Ground Zero for “Alt-Right” Organizing in Atlanta”

“Hitler Did Nothing Wrong”: Spalding County Deputy Sheriffs Express Far-Right Allegiance

Update, afternoon of 8/6/2018: Well that was quick… Costner and James have been fired.

Introduction

Howard Reece Costner, currently employed as a Deputy Sheriff/detention officer in Spalding County, Georgia, is a participant in the Alt-Right who believes that racism is “normal” and who labels non-racist points of view as “delusional.”

Costner claims that he “respect[s]” the founder of the American Nazi Party and “agree[s] with a lot of his [George Lincoln Rockwell’s] points.” Deputy Costner also is open about his friendships with current-day neo-Nazis. Posting to a group on Facebook, Costner even shared a picture of a Nazi flag hanging in his living space. A glance at Costner’s social media accounts shows Costner’s support for fascist, antisemitic, and white nationalist political projects.

Another Spalding County Sheriff’s Office employee/detention officer, Jesse A. Jones, proclaims on his online gaming profile that “Hitler did nothing wrong.” Jones is a friend of Costner’s. Both joined the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office in late 2017.

jesse a jones deputy — *Jesse Aaron Jones*

We are not surprised at the presence of a hardened ideological racist in Georgia law enforcement, or about another Deputy proclaiming that “Hitler did nothing wrong.” There are likely others with the same commitments as Costner and Jones, although some may be better at covering their tracks. With our release of this documentation on Deputies Costner and Jones, the Spalding County Sheriff’s Office must decide if it will continue to employ open ideological racists.

Continue reading ““Hitler Did Nothing Wrong”: Spalding County Deputy Sheriffs Express Far-Right Allegiance”