14 WORDS

14 Words (also 14, 14/18, 14/23, or 14/88) is code for a white supremacist slogan consisting of 14 words: “We must secure the existence of our people and a future for white children.” According to the American Defamation League, the “term reflects the primary white supremacist worldview in the late 20th and early 21st centuries: that unless immediate action is taken, the white race is doomed to extinction by an alleged ‘rising tide of color’ purportedly controlled and manipulated by Jews.” ¹ The 14 Words are used as a greeting between white supremacists in both its full form and abbreviated numerical form.

Its numerical variants are associated with different white supremacist groups and are references to various alt-right symbols. 88 refers to “HH” (H being the 8th letter of the alphabet) which in turn is code for “Heil Hitler.” 18 is numerical code for Adolf Hitler (1=A and 8=H). 23 stands for the 23 precepts, a list of rules for the group The Southern Brotherhood, the largest white supremacist prison gang in Alabama. ²

In 2021, Georgia Representative Marjorie Taylor Green tweeted, “I’m here to fight for my children’s future and the next generation’s American Dream.” Observers noted that the tweet bore remarkable similarity to the 14 words, even containing exactly 14 words. ³ Whether an intentional allusion to the 14 Words or not, the numerical shorthand serves as a “dog whistle,” coded political messaging that is often suggestive or outright offensive. Coded messages and symbols allow members of right-wing groups, and increasingly mainstream politicians that share their views, to communicate racist and violent messages without detection.