Proud Boys Lose Control of Their Name
In December 2020, members of the Proud Boys vandalized the Metropolitan African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, a historic Black church in Washington, D.C., by tearing down and burning a Black Lives Matter banner. The attack occurred following a pro-Trump rally and was part of a larger pattern of intimidation targeting racial justice activists and institutions supporting Black Lives Matter. Unlike many incidents of political violence that remain unresolved, the church took a legal approach to holding the Proud Boys accountable, filing a lawsuit that reframed the attack as an act of racial terror rather than mere vandalism.
The Metropolitan AME Church refused to let the attack be dismissed as simple vandalism. Instead, they framed it as a racial terror act, ensuring that the public and judicial system recognized its deeply racist and violent intent. The legal case exposed the Proud Boys’ targeting of Black institutions and placed their actions under scrutiny.
The Proud Boys sought to minimize and justify their attack, but the church successfully shifted the narrative, making it clear that this was not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern of white supremacist violence. By pursuing a lawsuit, they ensured that the attack was legally revealed as an act of hate and intimidation, not just property damage.
Rather than relying solely on law enforcement, which often fails to take political violence against Black communities seriously, the church used civil litigation to impose financial and legal consequences on the Proud Boys. The judgment redirected attention away from slow-moving criminal processes and toward an immediate, enforceable penalty.
In 2023, a judge ruled in favor of the church, determining that the Proud Boys' actions were "hateful and overtly racist." The court awarded the church $2.8 million in damages, but the group refused to pay. In 2025, as a consequence of their failure to meet the financial judgment, a D.C. Superior Court judge awarded the Metropolitan AME Church full control over the Proud Boys' trademark, branding, and symbols. This ruling effectively stripped the group of its identity, allowing the church to seize profits from any use of the Proud Boys’ name and imagery, including merchandise sales.
The backfire effect in this case is significant. What began as a targeted act of intimidation against a Black church resulted in a legal and symbolic victory for racial justice. Rather than retreating in fear, the church used the court system to impose consequences on the perpetrators, demonstrating how institutions can play a role in countering political violence. The decision also dealt a devastating blow to the Proud Boys' public image, highlighting their role in acts of racist violence and undermining their ability to control their own brand.