An Augusta-based Web site that promotes white supremacy, and is run by an organization considered to be a hate group by a national organization that tracks such sets, has seen an increase in traffic since the election of America's first black president.

Louis Andrews, president of the National Policy Institute, a "pro-white" Web site where individuals can purchase reading materials on the costliness of diversity and on the intelligence levels of blacks and whites, said his site has had a 20 percent increase in traffic over the past few months.

"I think there's a lot more interest in trying to solve the problems of race and ethnicity with the election of a black president and issues with immigration," Mr. Andrews said.

National Policy Institute is one of three local organizations that the Southern Poverty Law Center labels as a hate group promoting racial supremacy, said Heidi Beirich, a spokeswoman for the law center.

Nationally, there are 926 hate groups, which is a 4 percent increase between 2007 and 2008, according to the center's Intelligence Report that tracks growth of such organizations. Since 2000, the number of groups has jumped 54 percent.

Concerns about immigration and the flagging economy have influenced interest in these organizations, Ms. Beirich said.

"We also have the first African-American in the White House. That has freaked these groups out," she said. "They see the country as going to hell in a hand basket."

Two other local organizations, the New Black Panthers Party and the League of the South, are also listed as hate groups by the law center.

Bobby Price, chairman of Augusta's New Black Panthers Party, said the black nationalist organization formed in 1998 as a response to hate groups. He said the group, which opened an Augusta chapter in 2002, has not seen much growth because of the moderate views of most blacks.

"Most blacks believe that the country has moved in the right direction," Mr. Price said. "We believe that white society continues to disempower and discriminate against us based on our color."

The League of the South promotes states' rights and Anglo-Celtic culture in the South, said Ray McBerry, chairman of the Georgia chapter. Membership has grown over the past several months, but it has little to do with the president, he said.

"People are more and more concerned about the illegal immigration issue and insecurity with the federal government," he said. "We are not a racial group."

The law center has not received any reports of violence from these organizations.

Paulwyn Boliek, co-chairman for the Blue Ribbon Committee on Race Relations, said racism continues to be an issue in Augusta. His committee formed in 2002 and reports any instances of racism to the Augusta Commission and suggests ideas to alleviate it, Mr. Boliek said.

"We have to learn to socialize across those lines," he said. "We have made significant progress, but we're not there yet."