Next Program: Origins of the Antifa Movement

When Donald Trump ascended to the U.S. presidency in January 2017, a new generation of extreme right-wing political elements became emboldened by what was viewed by many as a sympathetic ear in the White House.  Right-wing groups such as the Alt-Right, founded by white supremacist Richard Spencer, deemed the rise of the Trump presidency as an opportunity to press their views about the denigration of the white race in American society and their determination to reassert white supremacy in American social and political life.

The rise of the Alt-Right has been confronted by the appearance of Antifa, a loose conglomeration of individuals participating in direct action protests against right-wing extremism.  Antifa has its origins in groups that opposed Hitler and the Nazis in 1930s Germany, and which reappeared in the 1980s in Europe as Neo-Naziism re-emerged as a political force.  Today in the United States, Antifa tends to be comprised of individuals that are anti-government, anti-capitalist, and either socialist or communist in nature.  In opposition to the violent right, Antifa is the violent left.

This presentation shall trace the international origins of Antifa from its beginnings in Nazi Germany, to its reemergence in both the Europe of the late 20^th century and the United States in the early 21^st century.

Barry J. Balleck received a B.A. in political science and an M.A. in international studies from Brigham Young University. He received his Ph.D. in political science from the University of Colorado at Boulder with emphases in international relations, American politics, and political theory. Upon completion of his degree, Dr. Balleck joined the faculty of Georgia Southern University, where he held a joint appointment in both the Department of Political Science and the Center for International Studies. Dr. Balleck currently serves as the chair and department head of the Department of Political Science at Georgia Southern University. For the past twenty years he has also directed Georgia Southern University’s Model United Nations (MUN) program, one of the oldest and most continuous programs of its kind in the country. Dr. Balleck has directed the Georgia Southern MUN delegation to several national awards and has conducted dozens of MUN conferences for middle and high school students from Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida.

Dr. Balleck has research and teaching interests in the fields of international and domestic terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, the rhetoric of politics, the United Nations, and international human rights. He has dozens of conference presentations to his credit and has published in journals such as Presidential Studies Quarterly, Politics & Policy, and Peace Psychology Review. Dr. Balleck’s most recent publication is a book from Praeger Press entitled, “Allegiance to Liberty: The Changing Face of Patriots, Militias, and Political Violence in America.”

Sponsor of this Program – Planters Inn on Reynolds Square

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The hotel is conveniently located in the historic district and is close to many historic and culturally significant points of interest, including the Telfair Museum of the Arts, Juliette Gordon Low House, River Street and City Market and The Olde Pink House Restaurant. Whether you’re a guest for a weekend of romance, to attend a social event or for business, you won’t be disappointed by The Planters Inn in Savannah, Georgia.

The Savannah Council on World Affairs is grateful for Planters Inn support.