Anthony Karen

Documentary Photographer
    
God's Country
Public Project
God's Country
Copyright Anthony Karen 2024
Date of Work Oct 2016 - Ongoing
Updated Jan 2019
Topics Alt Right, Extremist, Hate, Ku Klux Klan, Nazi, White Nationalism
On September 3rd, 2016, I began documenting a group of skinheads that frequented a small town in rural Pennsylvania. At the time, several organizations within the white power movement that previously wanted nothing to do with one another were seeking alliances. I was invited to one such event, a white solidarity meeting that took place at the residence of a local white nationalist, his wife, and their seven children.
 
The more time I spent with this particular family, the more I started to understand the reasons behind some of their choices in regard to the basic tenets of their ideology, so this was exactly the type of family dynamic I was looking to document.

In 2013, a year after Dan and Sabrina gave birth to their second child diagnosed with autism, they started reading about National Socialism. The couple felt the diagnosis of both children was somehow related to man-made influences, such as hydraulic fracturing and mandatory vaccinations for children attending public school. After a series of personal and career misfortunes, the ideology of National Socialism fell in line with their core beliefs and quickly became part of their daily lives. Today, they remain outspoken members of the White Nationalist movement and have nine children ranging from 1-month to ten years old, four have been diagnosed with autism.

One of my objectives while documenting white separatists has been avoiding the cliché’s and not relying exclusively on symbolism to tell the story. The challenge with documenting individuals that hold these beliefs is finding a balance, as the rallies and events staged for the media play an insignificant role in their daily lives and actually serve more as a tool for recruitment.

I originally committed myself to two years to produce a well-rounded project, but as I’ve grown closer to the family I'm hoping to continue as the children age and embark on their own ideological journeys in the years to come.

- I have unparalleled access (and insight) to numerous organizations that are classified by the SPLC (Southern Poverty Law Center) as extremist groups. I'm open to projects that are free from sensationalism and editorial slant.
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