Civil rights watchdog adds conservative and parents' rights groups to 'extremist' list

The Southern Poverty Law Center has added Moms for Liberty, a conservative "parental rights" group, to its list of anti-government extremist entities, citing its efforts to fight COVID safety measures, ban books, limit discussion about race and LGBTQ identities, and populate local school boards with conservatives. The SPLC compares the group to pro-segregationist parent groups that attempted to re-segregate public schools during the civil rights movement. The group's co-founders deny the designation and claim to be empowering parents, but critics say their tactics are harmful and divisive. The group has gained political clout and will host a conference later this month with leading Republican presidential candidates as speakers.