Heidi Beirich, PhD
Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder
@heidibeirich
Heidi Beirich, Ph.D., is an expert on the American and European far right, including white supremacist, anti-immigrant, antigovernment, and other extremist movements. In 2020, Beirich co-founded the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) to monitor and counter increasingly transnational hate movements, particularly in areas of the world where capacity is limited to combat far-right movements that threaten human rights and democracy.
Beirich has testified in Congress on issues related to extremism in the military and among veterans and on the dangers of accelerationist and neo-Nazi movements. The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol sought her testimony on the threat posed by the extremist Proud Boys and on the history of the rise of white supremacy in the U.S. Government agencies and tech companies have sought her advice on policies to combat hate speech, hate crimes, and domestic terrorism.
Beirich has written extensively on far-right movements and is the author of numerous academic publications on extremism. She co-edited Neo-Confederacy: A Critical Introduction, published by the University of Texas Press. A frequent speaker at conferences on combating hate and extremism, she has been interviewed by hundreds of outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, The Guardian, BBC, NPR, WIRED, and the Financial Times. She regularly appears on major television networks, in documentaries, and on radio programs focused on the dangers and growing threat of far-right extremism to democracy and human rights.
Her expertise has been sought out by government agencies both domestically and abroad, and cited in major investigations of the far right produced by governments, organizations and coalitions working to combat the rising tide of hate and extremism globally. Beirich has also served as an expert witness in civil cases lodged against extremist organizations including the white supremacist Proud Boys.
Beirich earned a Ph.D. in political science from Purdue University, specializing in European fascism and far-right movements. She holds M.A. degrees in political science and economics. Before co-founding GPAHE, Beirich led the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, the premier organization tracking hate and antigovernment movements in the United States.
Since co-founding GPAHE, Beirich and her colleagues have made the organization the premier entity spotlighting the global reach of far-right extremism, from the spread of white nationalist Active Clubs in Europe and Latin America to the export of Christian nationalist policies tied to U.S. political movements like Project 2025. GPAHE plays an essential role in identifying threats, informing policy, and building international coalitions for rights-based resistance.
Heidi Beirich, PhD
Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder
@heidibeirich
Heidi Beirich, Ph.D., is an expert on the American and European far right, including white supremacist, anti-immigrant, antigovernment, and other extremist movements. In 2020, Beirich co-founded the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) to monitor and counter increasingly transnational hate movements, particularly in areas of the world where capacity is limited to combat far-right movements that threaten human rights and democracy.
Beirich has testified in Congress on issues related to extremism in the military and among veterans and on the dangers of accelerationist and neo-Nazi movements. The House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the U.S. Capitol sought her testimony on the threat posed by the extremist Proud Boys and on the history of the rise of white supremacy in the U.S. Government agencies and tech companies have sought her advice on policies to combat hate speech, hate crimes, and domestic terrorism.
Beirich has written extensively on far-right movements and is the author of numerous academic publications on extremism. She co-edited Neo-Confederacy: A Critical Introduction, published by the University of Texas Press. A frequent speaker at conferences on combating hate and extremism, she has been interviewed by hundreds of outlets, including the New York Times, Washington Post, Boston Globe, The Guardian, BBC, NPR, WIRED, and the Financial Times. She regularly appears on major television networks, in documentaries, and on radio programs focused on the dangers and growing threat of far-right extremism to democracy and human rights.
Her expertise has been sought out by government agencies both domestically and abroad, and cited in major investigations of the far right produced by governments, organizations and coalitions working to combat the rising tide of hate and extremism globally. Beirich has also served as an expert witness in civil cases lodged against extremist organizations including the white supremacist Proud Boys.
Beirich earned a Ph.D. in political science from Purdue University, specializing in European fascism and far-right movements. She holds M.A. degrees in political science and economics. Before co-founding GPAHE, Beirich led the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Intelligence Project, the premier organization tracking hate and antigovernment movements in the United States.
Since co-founding GPAHE, Beirich and her colleagues have made the organization the premier entity spotlighting the global reach of far-right extremism, from the spread of white nationalist Active Clubs in Europe and Latin America to the export of Christian nationalist policies tied to U.S. political movements like Project 2025. GPAHE plays an essential role in identifying threats, informing policy, and building international coalitions for rights-based resistance.
