White nationalism upsurge in U.S. echoes historical pattern, say scholars

FILE PHOTO: Burt Colucci and other members of the National Socialist Movement, a white nationalist group, ready their firearms as they prepare to demonstrate against the LGBTQ event Motor City Pride in Detroit, Michigan, U.S., June 8, 2019. REUTERS/Jim Urquhart

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The first Black woman is on a major party presidential ticket, Americans of all races are showing their support for the Black Lives Matter movement and at the same time white nationalists are ramping up recruiting efforts and public activism.

That nationwide backing for America's stated goal of equal rights for all has been met by a rise in hate-related activities is part of a decades-long pattern in the United States, six scholars and historians say - any expansion of civil rights for a minority group leads to a rise in intolerance.