"The couple in question were Peter and Lydia Brimelow, whose online publication VDare was named for Virginia Dare, the first English child born in the Americas. Critics have accused the anti-immigration publication of being the genteel face of a constellation of white nationalist groups and figures that Hayden refers to simply as the movement."
"Some residents of Berkeley Springs were alarmed that their town might become publicly associated with the far right, and they invited Hayden, then a researcher for the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), to come speak to them and report on what was happening."
"In the course of what became this book, Hayden also suffered a mental health crisis compounded by the strain of years of reporting on the far right. VDare's arrival was flame to tinder in a town already navigating disagreements about the pandemic and the Black Lives Matter and Pride movements."
In 2020, Peter and Lydia Brimelow purchased a historic building in Berkeley Springs, intending to use it for their non-profit, VDare. This led to community unrest as residents feared association with far-right extremism. Journalist Michael Edison Hayden documented the ensuing conflict, which resulted in neighborly divisions and financial pressures on VDare. The situation was exacerbated by existing tensions over the pandemic and social movements. Hayden also faced personal challenges during his reporting, highlighting the broader impact of extremism on the town's dynamics.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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