What could possibly explain this relationship? A headscratching analysis

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A "relationship" usually involves more than one variable. I'm not sure what you are implying about what broader significance 1996 or 1998 had in terms of dramatic declines in these groups.

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SPLC/TIME: "See How the Number of Hate Groups in the U.S. Has Changed Over Time"

http://time.com/3739966/hate-groups-splc/

Bar graphs galore!

someone should tell them that 17 years isn't a "quarter century."

Since the SPLC considers the Nation of Islam a hate group, I can't help but wonder if they themselves would qualify as an "Anti-Muslim" hate group under their definition.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

SPLC/TIME: "See How the Number of Hate Groups in the U.S. Has Changed Over Time"

http://time.com/3739966/hate-groups-splc/

Bar graphs galore!

someone should tell them that 17 years isn't a "quarter century."

Since the SPLC considers the Nation of Islam a hate group, I can't help but wonder if they themselves would qualify as an "Anti-Muslim" hate group under their definition.

So a group that is often mischaracterized as a leftist propaganda mill is lampooned (poorly) for demonstrating they actually call out hate groups of all creeds, ideologies, and colors.

Just

They are not leftist in any hard sense - their biases are more mainstream and conventional than to give them any sympathy with black power movements. The point is their rush to label groups as inspired by "hate" is wide-netted and ham-fisted.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

Barack Obama is, of course, descended from John Punch, the very first African slave in Virginia. Facts like that demonstrate the difficulty of using this or any metric rather than simple self-identification.

He's also has his mother and grandparents from Kansas, they come from who knows of what kind of European culture.

And his speeches and books seem to suggest he's comfortable with both backgrounds.

Take this into account,along with the politics regarding  the above...and it's just waaay too tricky.

Yes, he is biracial. He is also black.