The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) was established in Montgomery, Alabama in 1971 by Morris Dees, Joseph J. Levin and Julian Bond. A non-profit organization, the SPLC attempts to "combat hate, intolerance, and discrimination through education and litigation." The SPLC initially provided legal representation in individual cases dealing with racial discrimination.

After the lynching of Michael Donald in 1981, the SPLC represented his mother, Beulah Mae Donald, in a civil suit which resulted in a $7 million liability judgment which bankrupted the United Klans of America.

The SPLC also sponsors the Civil Rights Memorial which celebrates the memory of 40 individuals who died during the Civil Rights Movement.