All the symbols depicted in the hate symbols database must be evaluated in the context in which they appear. Few symbols represent just one idea or are used exclusively by one group. For example, 100% is often used as an amount or an expression and it is also used by some white supremacists as shorthand for "100% white." Similarly, other symbols in this database may be significant to people who are not extreme or racist. The descriptions here point out significant multiple meanings but may not be able to relay every possible meaning of a particular symbol.
Group Status: Legacy (the group is no longer active, but some symbols may remain as tattoos, graffiti, etc.)
Vanguard America is a small neo-Nazi group, one of several new neo-Nazi groups composed primarily of young white men that emerged as a byproduct of the rise of the alt right segment of the white supremacist movement. The group started in 2016 in California as American Vanguard but changed its name to Vanguard America in early 2017.
The group focused its energy on spreading racist flyers and posters, especially on college campuses. Vanguard America also took part in live events, including the August 2017 Unite the Right white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, where its contingent was highly visible. James Fields, the white supremacist convicted of murdering anti-racist demonstrator Heather Heyer at that event, was photographed there carrying a Vanguard America shield, though he was not an actual member of the group.
The Vanguard America logo depicts an eagle carrying a fasces. Members have also often used the Sonnenrad, combining it with the logo or other symbols.
In the wake of Charlottesville, the group splintered, with many members leaving to form a new group, Patriot Front. In early 2018, more Vanguard America members deserted the group to form the National Socialist Legion, leaving Vanguard America much smaller than it had been a year earlier. Because of the defections, Vanguard America activity has decreased drastically; it may not last much longer.
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