What is Hate Comes to Main Street?

Hate Comes to Main Street is the continuation of an on-going journey by me—award-winning investigative reporter Phil Williams—to explore the rising influence of white supremacists, neo-Nazis, Christian nationalists, QAnon conspiracy theorists, and other political extremists on Main Street America.

For the purposes of this publication, “hate” is broadly defined as any ideology that denigrates people simply based on the color of their skin, their religion, their national or ethnic background, their gender or sexual orientation, or any disabilities. It also includes unhinged conspiracy theories that seek to disparage individuals based on imagined plots that only the conspiracists can see.

And what a journey it has been!

From death threats… to being falsely accused of murders (that were not really murders)… to being labeled on InfoWars as a “pedophile protector,” I have faced all sorts of harassment and efforts to intimidate me for my reporting.

But it has also been the most important work of my 40-year career!

My efforts—first dubbed Hate Comes to Main Street, later Confronting Hate—has been recognized with broadcast journalism’s highest honors, including two George Foster Peabody Awards and a duPont-Columbia Award.

This publication, however, is NOT designed to be an investigative project. (That is still my day job.)

Instead, it will provide analysis and understanding of the societal implications of the rise of extremism in America. It will highlight some of the best reporting about hate by other journalists from around the country. And it will include interviews with some of the civic-minded Americans who are courageously taking a stand against that hate.

With some luck, together we’ll also find reasons for hope!

Which is where you come in. (More on that in a moment.)

But, first, who in the heck is Phil Williams?

Great question!

HBO’s John Oliver has dubbed me “Nashville’s Nosiest Bitch” as a result of the early stages of my hate investigation, hailing my work as an example of the type of unflinching journalism that is desperately needed in America. (See clip above.)

When I encountered Jeffrey Goldberg, editor-in-chief of The Atlantic at a ceremony at Columbia University in New York, he paused, thought for a moment, then declared: “You’re that TV guy who confronts Nazis!”

That would also be me!

My work has been recognized with journalism’s highest honors, including five George Foster Peabody Awards and five duPont-Columbia Awards. I was the first local TV journalist to receive the John Chancellor Award for Excellence in Journalism. As a young journalist, I was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize.

But I’m not done yet!

Why can you do?

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Paid subscribers become part of my journey and part of a community who believe this type of journalism is desperately needed now more than ever. Only paid subscribers can participate in the comments section! You will also be able to join in with my periodic chats.

Support my efforts

What I post here is not supported by my corporate employer.

I alone am responsible for its content.

Which means that I will need to protect myself with libel insurance (which is not cheap) and to cover expenses not reimbursed by my job.

The more support that I receive, the more that I can do with this platform.

(For more, check out my legal disclaimer here.)

And finally…

You can find books that I recommend through my BookShop.org page. BookShop.org works to connect readers with independent booksellers all over the world, like Nashville’s own highly-acclaimed Parnassus Books.

(Disclosure: I am an affiliate of Bookshop.org, and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase—but the recommendations are absolutely sincere.)

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