Harold Covington
Encyclopedia
Harold Armstead Covington (born 14 September 1953 in Burlington, North Carolina
) is an American white supremacist, political activist and novelist. He advocates the creation of an "Aryan homeland" in the Pacific Northwest
region of the United States.
, and was later in Rhodesia. Covington was a founding member of the Rhodesian White People's Party. He was deported from Rhodesia
(later renamed Zimbabwe
) in 1976, after sending threatening letters to a Jewish congregation.
Covington joined the National Socialist Party of America
(NSPA) after returning from Rhodesia.
In 1980, while leader of the American Nazi Party
, he lost a primary election for the Republican
nomination for candidates for attorney general
of North Carolina
. Covington resigned as president of the NSPA in 1981.
In 1981 Covington alleged a connection between the NSPA and would-be presidential assassin John W. Hinckley
. Law enforcement authorities were never able to corroborate the alleged Hinckley-NSPA connection.
Covington later settled in the United Kingdom
for several years, where he made contact with far-right groups and was involved in setting up the neo-nazi terror group Combat 18
(C18) in 1992 with his National Socialist White People's Party. C18 openly promotes violence
and antisemitism, and has adopted some of the features of the US far right.
Upon his second return to the US, Covington started a new entity using the name National Socialist White People's Party (NSWPP), which he ran from various locations until settling in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
. He launched its website in 1996 and for some time the NSWPP was one of the more active neo-nazi presences on the web. A dispute over use of the NSWPP's name arose when Matt Koehl
, head of the New Order
, the direct successor organization of the NSWPP, declared the name was copyrighted by the G.L. Rockwell Foundation, Inc. Subsequently, a notice appeared in place of Covington's primary Web site barring him from using the term NSWPP in "printed material, electronic messaging and Internet Domain Names." Covington's NSWPP website is now defunct.
Covington has sometimes used the alias "Winston Smith
", particularly in his role as head of the faux NSWPP.
at length.
.
Most of Covington's novels present a fictionalised account of the rise of a future "Northwest Republic", which secedes from the United States, ejects all non-white inhabitants from its territory, and becomes a regional superpower, defeating US attempts to reconquer it.
Burlington, North Carolina
Burlington is a city in Alamance and Guilford counties in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the principal city of the Burlington, North Carolina Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Alamance County, in which most of the city is located. The population was 49,963 at the 2010...
) is an American white supremacist, political activist and novelist. He advocates the creation of an "Aryan homeland" in the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
region of the United States.
Political activities
Covington joined the National Socialist White People's Party while in the U.S. Army in 1972, then moved to South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, and was later in Rhodesia. Covington was a founding member of the Rhodesian White People's Party. He was deported from Rhodesia
Rhodesia
Rhodesia , officially the Republic of Rhodesia from 1970, was an unrecognised state located in southern Africa that existed between 1965 and 1979 following its Unilateral Declaration of Independence from the United Kingdom on 11 November 1965...
(later renamed Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country located in the southern part of the African continent, between the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers. It is bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the southwest, Zambia and a tip of Namibia to the northwest and Mozambique to the east. Zimbabwe has three...
) in 1976, after sending threatening letters to a Jewish congregation.
Covington joined the National Socialist Party of America
National Socialist Party of America
The National Socialist Party of America was a Chicago-based organization founded in 1970 by Frank Collin shortly after he left the National Socialist White People's Party. The NSWPP had been the American Nazi Party until shortly after the assassination of leader George Lincoln Rockwell in 1967...
(NSPA) after returning from Rhodesia.
In 1980, while leader of the American Nazi Party
American Nazi Party
The American Nazi Party was an American political party founded by discharged U.S. Navy Commander George Lincoln Rockwell. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Rockwell initially called it the World Union of Free Enterprise National Socialists , but later renamed it the American Nazi Party in...
, he lost a primary election for the Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
nomination for candidates for attorney general
Attorney General
In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general, or attorney-general, is the main legal advisor to the government, and in some jurisdictions he or she may also have executive responsibility for law enforcement or responsibility for public prosecutions.The term is used to refer to any person...
of North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
. Covington resigned as president of the NSPA in 1981.
In 1981 Covington alleged a connection between the NSPA and would-be presidential assassin John W. Hinckley
John Hinckley, Jr.
John Warnock Hinckley, Jr., attempted to assassinate U.S. President Ronald Reagan in Washington, D.C., on March 30, 1981, as the culmination of an effort to impress teen actress Jodie Foster. He was found not guilty by reason of insanity and has remained under institutional psychiatric care since...
. Law enforcement authorities were never able to corroborate the alleged Hinckley-NSPA connection.
Covington later settled in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
for several years, where he made contact with far-right groups and was involved in setting up the neo-nazi terror group Combat 18
Combat 18
Combat 18 is a violent neo-Nazi organisation associated with Blood and Honour. It originated in the United Kingdom, but has since spread to other countries. Members of Combat 18 have been suspected in numerous deaths of immigrants, non-whites, and other C18 members...
(C18) in 1992 with his National Socialist White People's Party. C18 openly promotes violence
Violence
Violence is the use of physical force to apply a state to others contrary to their wishes. violence, while often a stand-alone issue, is often the culmination of other kinds of conflict, e.g...
and antisemitism, and has adopted some of the features of the US far right.
Upon his second return to the US, Covington started a new entity using the name National Socialist White People's Party (NSWPP), which he ran from various locations until settling in Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Chapel Hill is a town in Orange County, North Carolina, United States and the home of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and UNC Health Care...
. He launched its website in 1996 and for some time the NSWPP was one of the more active neo-nazi presences on the web. A dispute over use of the NSWPP's name arose when Matt Koehl
Matt Koehl
Matt Koehl is the leader of a self-defined religious organization called the New Order. As deputy commander, in August 1967 Koehl succeeded the assassinated George Lincoln Rockwell as 'Commander' of the National Socialist White People's Party...
, head of the New Order
New Order (National Socialist)
New Order, a successor organization to the original American Nazi Party, is now a self-styled National Socialist religious group which promotes Esoteric Nazism as an alternative faith for "Aryans" ....
, the direct successor organization of the NSWPP, declared the name was copyrighted by the G.L. Rockwell Foundation, Inc. Subsequently, a notice appeared in place of Covington's primary Web site barring him from using the term NSWPP in "printed material, electronic messaging and Internet Domain Names." Covington's NSWPP website is now defunct.
Covington has sometimes used the alias "Winston Smith
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell is a dystopian novel about Oceania, a society ruled by the oligarchical dictatorship of the Party...
", particularly in his role as head of the faux NSWPP.
Internet presence
Harold Covington was one of the first neo-Nazis on the Web, establishing a site as early as 1996. Covington's original site defined National Socialism as "a world view for White People" and listed guiding principles such as "Racial Idealism" and "The Upward Development of the White Race." The site listed "Ten Basic Principles of National Socialism". Covington also lauded George Lincoln RockwellGeorge Lincoln Rockwell
George Lincoln Rockwell was the founder of the American Nazi Party. Rockwell was a major figure in the neo-Nazi movement in the United States, and his beliefs and writings have continued to be influential among white nationalists and neo-Nazis.-Early life:Rockwell was born in Bloomington,...
at length.
Novels
Covington is the author of a number of novels. His book The March up Country published in 1987 was promoted on the forum of the Dutch political party Nationale AlliantieNational Alliance (Netherlands)
The National Alliance was a Dutch nationalist political party. The party was disbanded in 2007.The party was formed on 12 November 2003, by Jan Teijn and Virginia Kapić. Teijn kicked off his political career in the Centrum Democraten in Rotterdam, before going over to the CP'86, where he was one...
.
- The March Up Country
- The Stars in Their Path: A Novel of Reincarnation
- Dreaming the Iron Dream
- A Mighty Fortress
- A Distant Thunder
- The Hill of the Ravens
- The Brigade
- Fire and Rain
- A Slow Coming Dark
- Freedom's Sons
Most of Covington's novels present a fictionalised account of the rise of a future "Northwest Republic", which secedes from the United States, ejects all non-white inhabitants from its territory, and becomes a regional superpower, defeating US attempts to reconquer it.
Online works
- The March Up Country
- Rose of Honor
- Vindictus
- The Book of the National Socialist Brotherhood
- A Distant Thunder
- A Mighty Fortress
- The Brigade
Interviews
- The Birth of a Nation, a review of the NW novels by The Occidental Quarterly, September 2, 2009
- Covington explains the Northwest Front, Radio Free Mississippi, November 20, 2009 (audio)