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Daniel Levitas Papers

 Collection
Identifier: aarl016-007

Scope and Contents

Daniel Levitas Papers consist of 67 linear feet of material. The bulk of the collection, which spans the years 1965 to 2010, consists of Manuscripts, Correspondence, Publications, Newspapers, Articles, Newsletters, Notes, Financial Records, Posters, Brochures, Video Materials, Audio Cassettes, DVD Material, Books, Programs, Hate Crime Cases, Reports, and Ephemera.

Dates

  • 1965 - 2010

Creator

Biographical / Historical

Daniel Levitas is an expert on the subject of white supremacist and neo-Nazi hate groups, having testified as an expert witness on six occasions since 1986 for both the prosecution and the defense. His expertise and prior testimony includes such areas as the Ku Klux Klan, the Skinhead movement, the Aryan Nations, cross burning, hate-motivated violence, and the Posse Comitatus. He is also an expert on the subject of hate crime laws, having drafted legislation and contributed to Amicus briefs submitted to the U.S. Supreme Court and the Georgia Supreme Court on cross burning, mask laws, and the First Amendment.

From 1989 - 1992, Mr. Levitas served as executive director of the Atlanta-based Center for Democratic Renewal and Education, Inc. (CDR), a national, non-profit, civil rights agency dedicated to monitoring the activities of hate groups and incidents of bigoted violence. In addition to his managerial duties at CDR, Mr. Levitas supervised and conducted research on the Ku Klux Klan, Aryan Nations, Skinheads, and other hate groups. Mr. Levitas has conducted training sessions and seminars on these topics for public officials, community leaders, and law enforcement throughout the United States.

In addition, he is the author of articles and publications on the activities of white supremacist and neo-Nazi groups. Mr. Levitas has been cited as a nationally recognized expert by the New York Times, St. Louis Post Dispatch, the Chicago Tribune, and other print media outlets. He has appeared as an expert on national news programs broadcast by CBS, CNN, public TV, and National Public Radio. From 1991 - 1992, he edited When Hate Groups Come to Town: A Handbook of Effective Community Response, a 192-page handbook about constructive responses to hate group activity and bigoted violence published by the CDR in association with Black Belt Press.

Prior to joining the CDR, Mr. Levitas served as research director for PrairieFire Rural Action, a non-profit agency based in Des Moines, Iowa. His work there focused on developing community responses to the Posse Comitatus, the Christian Identity movement, and other hate groups attempting to recruit farmers and rural residents during the period 1983 - 1989. While employed by PrairieFire, Mr. Levitas established that organization's Rural Radical Right Monitoring and Action Project, which tracked far-right, racist, and anti-Semitic individuals and groups in the Great Plains and Midwest.

EXPERT WITNESS TESTIMONY: In the District Court, Galveston County, Texas, 122nd Judicial District State of Texas vs. Christopher William Brosky 93CR1648-122nd

Testified as an expert witness for the prosecution in a case involving a Skinhead who had participated in a racially motivated drive-by shooting. The 16-year-old youth was charged with engaging in an organized crime murder and in conspiracy to commit murder. November 1993.

U.S. District Court, Northern District of Iowa. U.S. vs. McDermott. 92-1018

Testified as an expert witness for the prosecution in a cross-burning case involving three Skinhead youths charged with civil rights violations. February 1993.

Provincial Court of Manitoba, Canada. Crown vs. Harcus Skryba and Lockhart.

Testified as an expert witness for the Canadian government about the KKK and Aryan Nations. The case involved three Klansmen accused of violating anti-hate laws. June 1992.

Iowa District Court for Marshall County. State of Iowa vs. Knox CR35-0288.

Testified as an expert witness on rural, far-right groups. The case involved a jury foreman alleged to have been a member of the Posse Comitatus. The foreman had presided over a trial in which an African American man had been convicted of murder. January 1989.

U. S. District Court, Western District of Missouri. U.S. Vs. Marvin J. Porter. 86-0042-01/03-CR-W-6

Testified as an expert on rural, far-right groups on behalf of a farmer accused of illegally selling his assets. The defendant had been advised to do so by members of the far right, Posse Comitatus. July 1986.

EDUCATION: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI Bachelor of Science, 1982

SELECTED ARTICLES And PUBLICATIONS: "When Hate Groups Come to Town: A Handbook on Effective Community Responses." Selected portion. Black Belt Press. December 1992

"Far-right activities Can't be ignored." Bismark (N.D.) Daily Tribune, Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald. May 20, 1992.

"A Resurgence of Bigoted Violence." Christian Social Action. United Methodist Church Board of Global Ministries. November 1989.

"The Farm Crisis and the Radical Right." With Leonard Zeskind. Presented at the annual meeting of the Rural Sociological Society. August 1986.

Extent

67 Linear Feet (Daniel Levitas Papers consist of 67 linear feet of material. The bulk of the collection, which spans the years 1965 to 2010, consists of Manuscripts, Correspondence, Publications, Newspapers, Articles, Newsletters, Notes, Financial Records, Posters, Brochures, Video Materials, Audio Cassettes, DVD Material, Books, Programs, Hate Crime Cases, Reports, and Ephemera.) : Analog ; 188mm x 104mm x 25mm Video Tapes (VHS) 120mm (4.75 inches) x 1.2mm (0,05 inch) Digital Compact Disk (CD-ROM)

Language

English

Arrangement

Arrangement Note: Daniel Levitas Papers are organized into 51 series: Series I: African Americans; Series II: Posse Comitatus; Series III: Moore, Harry and Harriet; Series IV: American Anti-Semitism, History, Analysis and Poll Data; Series V: FBI vs. Posse Comitatus FOIA Files; Series VI: Wartime Civil Control Administration (WCCA / White Militias; Series VII: Anti-Semitism after 9/11; Series VIII: ABC 20/20 American Agricultural Management; Series XI: Asian Americans – Campus Racism; Series X: Holland, D. W; Series XI: Radio for Peace International – 100 Little Hitler’s; Series XII: KKK; Series XIII: “We the People” Civil Rights; Series XIV: American Agricultural Management – ADL [Anti-Defamation League] Spying Arab Americans; Series XV: Canada Far Right - CNC White Power Music; Series XVI: ADL [Anti-Defamation League] Spying - Aryan Territorial Alliance / WY; Series XVII: South Dakota / RRR [Rural Radical Right] - Swyft, Wesley A. / GLKS Correspondence; Series XVIII: NSWPP [National Socialist White People's Party] / Covington Harold / Resistance - OK Miscellaneous Anti-Fascist Contacts and Activities; Series XIX: Foundation for Economic Education - Historical Revisionism General; Series XX: Tax Protest / Wodtke Family - Voter Protection League; Series XXI: Prairiefire; Series XXII: OKC [Oklahoma City] Bombing - Population Environment Balance; Series XXIII: Magazines; Series XXIV: Liberty Lobby / Piper, Michael / Collis - Militia / Schumer / Extra Testimony; Series XXV: Elletson, Rodger - Forsyth County; Series XXVI: IREHR [Institute for Research & Education on Human Rights, Inc.] Cumming, August 1995 / 1996 - Jewish Community Action; Series XXVII: Populist Party 1995 - Jensenisk and Eugenics; Series XXVIII: John Birch Society - Isu Extremism; Series XXVIX: Constitutional Republic of the U.S. - Elections (2000) Founders Committee; Series XXX: Citizens Claw - Conspiracy Theories; Series XXXI: Hate Groups; Series XXXII: CNC Theological Liberation - Citizen Action Net; Series XXXIII: Wise Use / Larouche Links Liberty Lobby Oklahoma City 1995; Series XXXIV: Kirk Lyons Cause Et Al; Series XXXV: Foundation Lists – SKAGGS; XXXVI: VHS - American Anti-Semitism, History of Chronology, etc.; Series XXXVII: Judi Tasci Files; Series XXXVIII: VHS On and About Militias; Series XXXIX: General Correspondence and Issues General Correspondence and Issues; Series XL: CDR [Center For Democratic Renewal] Financial Reports; Series XLI: ATR - A Territory Resources - Lilly Endowment; Series XLII: Voter Registration / Motor Voter - Wisellse / Farm Credit Property Rights Association; XLIII: Crommelin, Admiral John G. - Posse Common Law, Recessionist Theory; Series XLIIII: Charles Gale, File On; Series XLV: Militias Activities Across USA; Series XLVI: Hate Crime Cases; Series XLVII: WCOTC [World Church of the Creator] Anderson V. Hale; Series XLVIII: Levitas - Personal Manuscripts, Clips, Documents, Etc.; Series XLIX: VHS [Video Home System] and Audio Cassettes VHS [Video Home System] and Audio Cassettes; Series L: Newsletters; Series LI: Courts - Issues and Cases.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Daniel Levitas Papers were donated by Mr. Daniel Levitas in 2016

Title
Inventory of the Daniel Levitas Papers aarl016-007aarl016-007
Author
Finding aid prepared by Okezie Amalaha, 2024
Date
2024
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
The notes on the language present in the finding aid generated from the description of the resource is American English

Repository Details

Part of the Auburn Avenue Research Library on African-American Culture and History Repository

Contact:
101 Auburn Avenue NE
Atlanta GA 30303
404-613-4032