Jesse Lee Peterson (born May 22, 1949) is an American conservative radio host, pastor, and broadcaster. He is the founder of Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND), a far-right Christian ministry, and hosts the programs ''The Jesse Lee Peterson Radio Show'' and ''The Fallen State TV''. He has gained notoriety for his political views, which have been described as

misogynistic Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced f ...

homophobic Homophobia encompasses a range of negative attitudes and feelings toward homosexuality or people who are identified or perceived as being lesbian, gay or bisexual. It has been defined as contempt, prejudice, aversion, hatred or antipathy, m ...

, anti-black and

white supremacist White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White s ...

Early life

Peterson was born on May 22, 1949, in

Midway, Alabama Midway is a town located in eastern Bullock County, Alabama, United States. At the 2020 census, the population was 421. Old Merritt School Margaret Elizabeth Merritt of Midway sold two acres for $5 to the State of Alabama in 1921 as a site f ...

, and raised in Corner Hill by his grandparents, who worked on the Comer family

plantation A plantation is an agricultural estate, generally centered on a plantation house, meant for farming that specializes in cash crops, usually mainly planted with a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Th ...

where his great-grandparents had been enslaved a century earlier. His mother and father moved to

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along th ...

, and

East Chicago, Indiana East Chicago is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The population was 29,698 at the 2010 census. The city is home of the Indiana Harbor and Ship Canal, an artificial freshwater harbor characterized by industrial and manufacturing ac ...

, respectively, where they separately started new families of their own. He was born with a

cleft palate A cleft lip contains an opening in the upper lip that may extend into the nose. The opening may be on one side, both sides, or in the middle. A cleft palate occurs when the palate (the roof of the mouth) contains an opening into the nose. The ...

that was not repaired until his teens. Peterson lived with his mother and stepfather in Gary as a teenager, briefly attending Edison High School. He then returned to Alabama and graduated from high school before moving to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

. He attended

Los Angeles City College Los Angeles City College (LACC) is a public community college in East Hollywood, Los Angeles, California. A part of the Los Angeles Community College District, it is located on Vermont Avenue south of Santa Monica Boulevard on the former campu ...

for one year. He says that he started his own janitorial service in 1989.

Political involvement

Peterson has stated that he used to be a Democrat but became a

Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...

in his late 30s. He attributed the change to his Christian beliefs. In 1990, Peterson founded BOND (Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny), later registered as a religious non-profit. BOND has close ties to the Tea Party movement. Advisory board members include

Sean Hannity Sean Patrick Hannity (born December 30, 1961) is an American talk show host, conservative political commentator, and author. He is the host of '' The Sean Hannity Show'', a nationally syndicated talk radio show, and has also hosted a commen ...

and

Dennis Prager Dennis Mark Prager (; born August 2, 1948) is an American conservative radio talk show host and writer. He is the host of the nationally syndicated radio talk show ''The Dennis Prager Show''. In 2009, he co-founded PragerU, which creates five-m ...

. Peterson has participated in activism against illegal immigration, abortion, and gun control, and for conservative family values. He has protested against the

NAACP The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E.&n ...

and feminist lawyer

Gloria Allred Gloria Rachel Allred ( Bloom; born July 3, 1941) is an American attorney known for taking high-profile and often controversial cases, particularly those involving the protection of women's rights. She has been inducted into the National Women's ...

. He has participated in discussions at the annual political convention

Politicon Politicon was an annual, non-partisan political convention in the United States. Politicon's vision was to bring "Republicans, Democrats, and people of all political stripes together to banter and spar over the most topical issues in smart and e ...

. From 1999 to 2004, Peterson chose Martin Luther King Jr. Day to hold a "National Day of Repudiation of

Jesse Jackson Jesse Louis Jackson (né Burns; born October 8, 1941) is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician. He was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as a shadow U.S. senato ...

" to highlight his opposition to Jackson, who was near King when he was assassinated. In 2001, while meeting with

Toyota is a Japanese multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on . Toyota is one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, producing about 10 ...

executives in Los Angeles, Peterson accused Jackson of threatening him and his son Jonathan Jackson of assaulting him. In 2006, a jury cleared Jesse Jackson of the threat allegation, but was split on his son's assault allegation. Conservative organization

Judicial Watch Judicial Watch (JW) is an American conservative activist group that files Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits to investigate claimed misconduct by government officials. Founded in 1994, JW has primarily targeted Democrats, in particu ...

provided attorneys for Peterson in the lawsuit. In 2002, Peterson debated Michael Eric Dyson on "The Case For/Against

Reparations Reparation(s) may refer to: Christianity * Restitution (theology), the Christian doctrine calling for reparation * Acts of reparation, prayers for repairing the damages of sin History *War reparations **World War I reparations, made from ...

for African Americans," hosted by the

National Association of Black Journalists The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) is an organization of African-American journalists, students, and media professionals. Founded in 1975 in Washington, D.C., by 44 journalists, the NABJ's stated purpose is to provide quality p ...

. Conservative

talk radio Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featu ...

host

wrote the

foreword A foreword is a (usually short) piece of writing, sometimes placed at the beginning of a book or other piece of literature. Typically written by someone other than the primary author of the work, it often tells of some interaction between the ...

s to two of Peterson's books. Peterson's radio show was simulcast on

Newsmax TV Newsmax TV is an American conservative television channel owned by Newsmax. The network primarily focuses on opinion-based talk shows. It carries a news/talk format throughout the day and night, with documentaries and films on weekends. During ...

in 2017-2018. In June 2019, video-sharing platform

YouTube YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...

demonetized Peterson's channel, amongst many others, under an updated

hate speech Hate speech is defined by the ''Cambridge Dictionary'' as "public speech that expresses hate or encourages violence towards a person or group based on something such as race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation". Hate speech is "usually thoug ...

policy. Peterson appears in the 2020 political documentary ''

Uncle Tom Uncle Tom is the title character of Harriet Beecher Stowe's 1852 novel, '' Uncle Tom's Cabin''. The character was seen by many readers as a ground-breaking humanistic portrayal of a slave, one who uses nonresistance and gives his life to prot ...

'', produced by radio host

Larry Elder Laurence Allen Elder (born April 27, 1952) is an American right-wing political commentator and conservative talk radio host. Elder hosts ''The Larry Elder Show'', based in California. The show began as a local program on Los Angeles radio stat ...

. In 2022, Peterson gave a speech at the third

America First Political Action Conference The America First Political Action Conference (AFPAC; ) is an annual white nationalist and far-right political conference. Many attendees are members of the " America First" movement and supporters of Nick Fuentes, also known as Groypers. Th ...

(AFPAC), which was also attended by

Nick Fuentes Nicholas Joseph Fuentes (born August 18, 1998) is an American white supremacistMultiple sources: * * * * * political commentator and live streamer. A former YouTuber, his channel was permanently suspended in February 2020 for violatin ...

and Marjorie Taylor Greene. AFPAC has been described as a white nationalist political action committee. The

Anti-Defamation League The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), formerly known as the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith, is an international Jewish non-governmental organization based in the United States specializing in civil rights law. It was founded in late Septe ...

described Peterson's speech as the "one of the most racist" of all delivered at the event, in which he described black people as the destroyers of America.

Political views

Peterson condemns the Democratic Party, opposes Muslims serving in government, and says that

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one race over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagoni ...

does not exist. Instead, he believes that every conflict is a spiritual "battle between good and evil". He has spoken out against

Kwanzaa Kwanzaa () is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called '' Karamu'', usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest ...

and

Black History Month Black History Month is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. It has received official recognition from governments in the United States and Canada, and more recently ...

. Peterson's views have been described by various authors as being consistent with

white supremacy White supremacy or white supremacism is the belief that white people are superior to those of other races and thus should dominate them. The belief favors the maintenance and defense of any power and privilege held by white people. White ...

, and it has been suggested that white nationalists are encouraged by his rhetoric and compelled to promote him, because Peterson's blackness reduces the shock value of opinions that would be considered outrageous if a white person had expressed them. In 2005, he suggested that most African Americans stranded in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

during

Hurricane Katrina Hurricane Katrina was a destructive Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that caused over 1,800 fatalities and $125 billion in damage in late August 2005, especially in the city of New Orleans and the surrounding areas. It was at the time the cost ...

were relying on the government to save them. In 2012, Peterson said about black

unemployment Unemployment, according to the OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development), is people above a specified age (usually 15) not being in paid employment or self-employment but currently available for work during the refe ...

, "One of the things that I would do is take all black people back to the South and put them on the

.... They need a good hard education on what it is to work." He has called Nobel Peace Prize winner

Nelson Mandela Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (; ; 18 July 1918 – 5 December 2013) was a South African anti-apartheid activist who served as the first president of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. He was the country's first black head of state and the ...

an "evil man" and said that

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring coun ...

was better off under

apartheid Apartheid (, especially South African English: , ; , "aparthood") was a system of institutionalised racial segregation that existed in South Africa and South West Africa (now Namibia) from 1948 to the early 1990s. Apartheid was ...

. In 2020, he called then-U.S. President

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...

"the Great White Hope". Peterson opposes sex outside marriage. During an interview with former

SlutWalk SlutWalk is a transnational movement calling for an end to rape culture, including victim blaming and slut shaming of sexual assault victims. Participants protest against explaining or excusing rape by referring to any aspect of a woman's app ...

organizer

Amber Rose Amber Rose Levonchuck (born October 21, 1983) is an American model and television personality. She first gained attention after she appeared in the music video for Young Jeezy and Kanye West's single " Put On". In 2008, Rose began a high-profil ...

, Peterson responded to the question "if women are sluts what does that make you?" by stating men are "slut makers". Peterson stated in a 2012 sermon that "one of the greatest mistakes America made was to allow women the opportunity to vote." He stated that women "can't handle power in the right way", that they "have no patience", and "don't have love". Political analyst Kirsten Powers confronted Peterson on

's program on

Fox News The Fox News Channel, abbreviated FNC, commonly known as Fox News, and stylized in all caps, is an American multinational conservative cable news television channel based in New York City. It is owned by Fox News Media, which itself is o ...

, accusing him of using his status as a pastor to preach hatred and fear of women. In 2013, Peterson called

Trayvon Martin Trayvon Benjamin Martin (February 5, 1995 – February 26, 2012) was a 17-year-old African-American from Miami Gardens, Florida, who was fatally shot in Sanford, Florida, by George Zimmerman, a 28-year-old Hispanic American. Martin had accompa ...

a "thug". CNN host

Piers Morgan Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; né O'Meara; born 30 March 1965) is a British broadcaster, journalist, writer, and television personality. He began his Fleet Street career in 1988 at ''The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun''. In 1994, aged 29, he was ...

called Peterson's comments "quite offensive". In 2015 on right-wing commentator

's show, Peterson defended Michael Slager, a white former

North Charleston, South Carolina North Charleston is the third-largest city in the state of South Carolina.City Planning Department (2008-07)City of North Charleston boundary map. City of North Charleston. Retrieved January 21, 2011. On June 12, 1972, the city of North Charlest ...

police officer who killed Walter Lamar Scott, an unarmed black man by shooting him in the back. Peterson criticized "angry black folks in this country" who disobey instructions of police, while Hannity pushed back against Peterson and called the killing "cold-blooded". Upset, fellow panelist Leo Terrell abruptly walked out of the interview prematurely. In 2017, Slager was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the killing. In 2018, Peterson compared the

Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police bruta ...

movement to the

Ku Klux Klan The Ku Klux Klan (), commonly shortened to the KKK or the Klan, is an American white supremacist, right-wing terrorist, and hate group whose primary targets are African Americans, Jews, Latinos, Asian Americans, Native Americans, and Cat ...

, saying that each could be described as an "agitative organization founded by... black lesbians and homosexuals." In response, '' Good Morning Britain'' host

accused Peterson of homophobia, and Peterson's microphone was muted before he was kicked off the show. In 2019, Peterson called activist

Andrew Yang Andrew Yang (born January 13, 1975) is an American businessman, attorney, lobbyist, and politician. Yang was a candidate in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries and the 2021 New York City Democratic mayoral primary. He is the co-c ...

a "communist" and "beta male" for his

universal basic income Universal basic income (UBI) is a social welfare proposal in which all citizens of a given population regularly receive an unconditional transfer payment, that is, without a means test or need to work. It would be received independently of ...

proposal. Peterson said Yang, an American born in New York, "should go back to China or wherever he came from." In 2019, a person who was considering marrying a woman who had a previous child conceived by rape called Peterson's radio show and was told by Peterson: "Do not marry a woman...who already has children. It's bad enough on kids when they don't have both parents, it's worse when a so-called step-parent steps in ... they want their natural father and natural mother, and especially their natural father." Peterson's views on women have been described as

misogynist Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced f ...

. in 2012, during a web sermon broadcast by his ministry (BOND), Paterson said “I think that one of the greatest mistakes that America made was to allow women the opportunity to vote. We should've never turned it over to women.”

Personal life

Peterson has one son. He has been engaged twice but never married.

2022 homosexuality allegations

On 13 July 2022, ''

Church Militant In some strains of Christian theology, the Christian Church may be divided into: *the Church Militant (), also called the Church Pilgrim which consists of Christians on earth who struggle as soldiers of Christ against sin, the devil, and "the ...

'', a conservative Catholic news and commentary site, published allegations of Peterson engaging in

same-sex relationship A same-sex relationship is a romantic or sexual relationship between people of the same sex. ''Same-sex marriage'' refers to the institutionalized recognition of such relationships in the form of a marriage; civil unions may exist in countrie ...

s, citing interviews with two former male associates.

Published works

* ''From Rage to Responsibility: Black Conservative Jesse Lee Peterson and America Today'', with

and Brad Stetson. Paragon House, 2000, * ''SCAM: How the Black Leadership Exploits Black America'',

WND Books ''WND'' (formerly ''WorldNetDaily'') is an American far-right fake news website. It is known for promoting falsehoods and conspiracy theories, including the false claim that former President Barack Obama was not born in the United States. Th ...

, . Reprinted, Thomas Nelson, 2005, *''The Seven Guaranteed Steps to Spiritual, Family and Financial Success'', 2007. * ''The ANTIDOTE: Healing America from the Poison of Hate, Blame and Victimhood'',

, (hardcover), 2015.

References

External links

*
Brotherhood Organization of a New Destiny (BOND)
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Peterson, Jesse Lee 1949 births Activists from Alabama Activists from California African-American non-fiction writers African-American television talk show hosts Alabama Republicans American Christian writers American columnists American conspiracy theorists American critics of Islam American nationalists American non-fiction writers American radio personalities American self-help writers American television evangelists American television talk show hosts Black conservatism in the United States Christian critics of Islam Christians from Alabama Christians from California Christians from Indiana Journalists from Alabama Living people Los Angeles City College alumni Male critics of feminism Newsmax TV people People from Barbour County, Alabama People from Midway, Alabama Writers from Gary, Indiana Writers from Los Angeles 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American people Critics of Black Lives Matter