A new study has alleged Tennessee has 41 active hate groups. That’s top five in the country according to the Southern Poverty Law Center.
A law professor at Tennessee State University said he's surprised that Tennessee is high on the list with Texas, California, and New York.
"Tennessee has a long history of progressivism for a southern state," Dr. Larry Woods said. "We've had national leaders, Howard Baker, Lamar Alexander, Al Gore, people who look at the nation, the world for leadership, and therefore I'm jolted to hear that we're the fifth highest in hate groups."
The study said there are 892 hate groups in the United States.
"I think a part of that is Tennessee is such a crossroads," Dr. Woods said. "We're in a boom area economically, socially, people want to move here and along with all the good people moving here, I think we're getting some of the bad people moving here."
The study also said that hate groups are on the rise and not decreasing across the country.
"We've had problems as has the entire nation with hate groups at various times," Dr. Woods said. "The recent shooting in Chattanooga, the history of the Ku Klux Klan in Tennessee, but generally we've been a really good place to live with good hearted people."
To view the active hate groups map, click here.
