Local business owner says she’s been contacted by Nazi Party; Human Rights Commission wants to learn if others have too

QUINCY — The Quincy Human Rights Commission has called for a special meeting at 5 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall to address the issue of the American Nazi Party’s potential presence in Quincy.

Mark Philpot, chairman of the 15-member commission, said a local business owner in the 62305 ZIP code shared with the group that she had received unsolicited recruitment materials postmarked March 13 from the far-right American Nazi Party at her home address within city limits.  

Philpot said the person had no interest in the material and never has had a connection with the Nazi Party or other similar organizations. She made a post on Facebook to say she had received the material, then asked if others had received similar material. Afterward, she then turned to the Human Rights Commission for help and support. 

“She got no response,” Philpot said. “She was troubled that came to her home address. I can say that it came from out of town, not Quincy. She really didn’t know where to turn. This is a person who I know, and she reached out to us and said, ‘Can you help? This is kind of disturbing, and I just really don’t know where to turn.’ It was just totally out of the blue.”

Philpot says the goal of Tuesday’s meeting is to learn if others in Quincy have received similar mailings. The commission also wants to learn of any history of hate groups that previously operated in the Adams County area or if any people acting on their own should be “on the radar.”

“We hope to kind of get some understanding of whether or not this is a continuing pattern,” he said. “We’re publicizing this because we want to try to provide information for people who may be asking, ‘Is this really a thing here in town?’”

Philpot said he has reached out to Quincy Police Chief Adam Yates, Adams County Sheriff Tony Grootens and First Assistant State’s Attorney Todd Eyler to attend Tuesday’s meeting. Philpot believes the meeting allows Quincyans to show solidarity for their neighbors.

“We want to show this type of behavior is inconsistent with the core values of what Quincy is about,” he said. “It also gives an opportunity for people to have their say on the issue and to say this is not how we want our town to be.”

George Lincoln Rockwell founded the party in 1959. Its headquarters are in Arlington, Va.

According to its website, the American Nazi Party’s first goal is attaining what it refers to as “The 14 Words”: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for White children.” The website says the party’s second goal is to achieve social justice for the White working class.