A group described by some as a white nationalist organization is planning to hold its annual conference in Charlotte next month, the Observer has confirmed.

American Renaissance, a magazine of the nonprofit New Century Foundation, would not disclose to the Observer the exact location of its Feb. 4-6 meeting.

The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks such groups, said the Renaissance conferences are events where "racist 'intellectuals' rub shoulders with Klansmen, neo-Nazis and other white supremacists."

In an Observer interview Wednesday, Magazine editor Jared Taylor dismissed the criticism.

The magazine’s website is focused mainly on race but does not openly promote white supremacy.

Under a headline “What We Believe” is printed this:

“Race is an important aspect of individual and group identity. Of all the fault lines that divide society — language, religion, class, ideology — it is the most prominent and divisive. Race and racial conflict are at the heart of the most serious challenges the Western World faces in the 21st century.

The problems of race cannot be solved without adequate understanding. Attempts to gloss over the significance of race or even to deny its reality only make problems worse. Progress requires the study of all aspects of race, whether historical, cultural, or biological. This approach is known as race realism.”

In calling Charlotte a “racist bastion” this week, local NAACP president Kojo Nantambu cited the group’s upcoming conference as an example. Nantambu said the group tried to meet in Washington, D.C., last year but was “run out” of town.

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