Civil rights coalition reports that white supremacist activity rising since Obama elected

Report: white supremacist activity rising

WASHINGTON — A leading civil rights coalition says there has been an increase in white supremacist activity since the election of the first African-American president.

The Leadership Conference on Civil Rights Education Fund reported Tuesday that the economic downturn and fear of immigrants also contributed to the increase.

The report comes a week after a white supremacist killed a security guard at the U.S. Holocaust Museum.

The coalition reported the country now averages a hate crime nearly every hour of every day. A special concern is the rising number of hate crimes committed against Hispanics and gays.