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CONFRONTING WHITE NATIONALISM in SCHOOLS a Toolkit AUTHORING CONFRONTING WHITE NATIONALISM IN SCHOOLS A Toolkit AUTHORING © Western States Center 2019 Authored by Nora Flanagan, Jessica Acee, and Lindsay Schubiner Contact: [email protected] 2 CONFRONTING WHITE NATIONALISM IN SCHOOLS A Toolkit 3 TA B L E O F CONTENTS 05 Introduction 10 How to Use this Toolkit 11 Scenarios 29 Proactive Steps & Best Practices 34 Five Common Defenses of White Nationalism 36 Conclusion 37 Resources 46 Cited Sources 4 INTRODUCTION Americans across the country report a rise in white nationalism and other bigoted extremism. Because schools are hubs of our communities, they have become battlegrounds for extremist organizing. There is evidence that white nationalist groups are specifically targeting young people with their messaging. These groups test market slang on Twitter, rewrite popular songs with white nationalist lyrics, and join mainstream video game platforms, all to reach a young audience. In this toolkit, we’ll share strategies to counter white nationalist organizing in schools through sample scenarios that schools frequently encounter. Whether a student has been found passing out white nationalist flyers or buttons on school property, or more actively advocating for a “white pride” student group, the following pages offer advice for parents, students, teachers, school administrators, and the wider community. Many resources currently exist that address diversity, inclusion, and bullying in schools; a few of them are listed in the resources section. This toolkit is specifically focused on responding to white nationalist targeting and recruitment of students. It’s easy to miss an unfamiliar white nationalist symbol, or feel unsure about how to respond to a student citing a white nationalist source in the classroom. There’s a lot to keep track of when working with young people; we want to make it easier to recognize these behaviors (and those responsible), and to take action. Everyone who engages in the life of a school is in a unique position to isolate and push back against the growing white nationalist movement and the hateful narratives they tout. It’s time to own that power. Our job is to build schools where everyone feels valued, and where our students can grow to be engaged citizens of an inclusive democracy. "My site is mainly designed to target children” for radicalization, the editor of neo-Nazi site The Daily Stormer, Andrew Anglin, said on a radio show in 2018. “[Age] 11 through teenage years.... Young adults, pubescents ." 1 5 demographic changes are equal to WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT white genocide. White nationalists WHEN WE SAY “WHITE NATIONALISM”? use anti-immigrant, anti-Black, and anti-Muslim rhetoric focused on According to the Southern White nationalism is inherently crime or terrorism to appeal to base Poverty Law Center (SPLC), anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, prejudices and reach a broader “White nationalist groups espouse antisemitic, and anti-Black, but audience that might initially find white supremacist or white white nationalist organizing can their true ideology too extreme. separatist ideologies, often focusing manifest without publicly Misogyny, which describes hatred or on the alleged inferiority of mentioning race or religion. prejudice against women, is also a nonwhites. Groups listed in a “Appeals for the white ethnostate key recruitment tool for white variety of other categories — Ku are often disingenuously couched nationalist groups. Each of these Klux Klan, neo-Confederate, in proclamations of love for has the dangerous potential to neo-Nazi, racist skinhead, and members of their own race, rather foster violence. At its core, despite Christian Identity — could also be than hatred for others,”3 writes its proponents’ disingenuous fairly described as white SPLC. Identity Evropa, a white descriptions of their views, white nationalist.”2 Alt-right is a recent nationalist group, often nationalism is ultimately a call to rebranding of white nationalism. disseminates flyers that say create an all-white ethnostate within “Protect your Heritage” or “Our the United States. While white nationalism is a Future Belongs to Us,” for example. bigoted social movement, white INTRODUCTION supremacy is a system designed to To white nationalists, an attack on maintain control over people of white supremacy is unpatriotic. color and the rights of all women. They believe that diversity and White nationalist flyers like these from the group Patriot Front are distributed in schools and communities as a way to draw attention and recruit members. 6 demographic changesdemographic are equal changes to are equal to WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT white genocide.white White genocide. nationalists White nationalistsANTISEMITISM use anti-immigrant,use anti-immigrant, anti-Black, and anti-Black, and WHEN WE SAY “WHITE NATIONALISM”? White nationalists in the United States anti-Muslim rhetoricanti-Muslim focused rhetoric on focused on According to theAccording Southern to the SouthernWhite nationalismWhite is inherently nationalism is inherently insist that the successes of the Civil crime or terrorismcrime to orappeal terrorism to base to appeal to base Poverty Law CenterPoverty (SPLC), Law Center (SPLC),anti-immigrant, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim, anti-Muslim, Rights movement cannot be explained prejudices and reachprejudices a broader and reach a broader “White nationalist“White groups nationalist espouse groups espouseantisemitic, andantisemitic, anti-Black, andbut anti-Black, but without some outside force to blame. audience that mightaudience initially that find might initially find white supremacistwhite or whitesupremacist or whitewhite nationalistwhite organizing nationalist can organizing can The Jewish community is often their true ideologytheir too true extreme. ideology too extreme. separatist ideologies,separatist often ideologies, focusing often manifestfocusing withoutmanifest publicly without publicly portrayed as this outside force, with Misogyny, whichMisogyny, describes which hatred describes or hatred or on the alleged inferiorityon the alleged of inferiority ofmentioning racementioning or religion. race or religion. outsized control of television, banking, prejudice againstprejudice women, against is also awomen, is also a nonwhites. Groupsnonwhites. listed in Groups a listed in“Appeals a for the“Appeals white ethnostate for the white ethnostate entertainment, education, and even key recruitmentkey tool recruitment for white tool for white variety of othervariety categories of other — Ku categories are— Kuoften disingenuouslyare often coucheddisingenuously couched Washington, D.C. It’s why the torch nationalist groups.nationalist Each of groups. these Each of these Klux Klan, neo-Confederate,Klux Klan, neo-Confederate, in proclamationsin ofproclamations love for of love for wielding mob of white men in has the dangeroushas potentialthe dangerous to potential to neo-Nazi, racistneo-Nazi, skinhead, racistand skinhead, andmembers of theirmembers own race, of theirrather own race, rather Charlottesville, Virginia chanted that it foster violence. fosterAt its violence.core, despite At its core, despite Christian IdentityChristian — could Identity also be — couldthan also hatredbe for thanothers,” hatred3 writes for others,” 3 writes was “Jews” who will not replace them — its proponents’ itsdisingenuous proponents’ disingenuous fairly described fairlyas white described as white SPLC. Identity Evropa,SPLC. Identity a white Evropa, a white the white race — as controllers of the descriptions of descriptionstheir views, whiteof their views, white nationalist.”2 Alt-rightnationalist.” is a2 recent Alt-right is nationalista recent group,nationalist often group, often United States.4 Antisemitism provides nationalism is ultimatelynationalism a call is ultimately to a call to rebranding of whiterebranding nationalism. of white nationalism.disseminates flyersdisseminates that say flyers that say the rationale that white nationalism uses create an all-whitecreate ethnostate an all-white within ethnostate within “Protect your Heritage”“Protect youror “Our Heritage” or “Our to power its racism, xenophobia, the United States.the United States. While white nationalismWhile white is a nationalism is Futurea Belongs Futureto Us,” Belongs for example. to Us,” for example. misogyny, and other forms of hatred. bigoted social movement, white “Jews and non-Jews need to understand bigotedINTRODUCTION social movement, white supremacy is a systemsupremacy designed is a system to designedTo white to nationalists,To white an attacknationalists, on an attack on that we have a unified threat. The white maintain controlmaintain over people control of over peoplewhite of supremacywhite is unpatriotic. supremacy is unpatriotic. nationalist movement in the United color and the rightscolor of and all the women. rights of all women.They believe thatThey diversity believe and that diversity and States doesn’t simply seek to spread hate; it seeks to use hate to build political power,” writes Eric Ward, Executive Director of Western States Center. The neo-Nazi website The Daily Stormer published a flyer that read: “White man are you sick and tired of the Jews destroying your country through mass immigration and degeneracy? Join us in the struggle for global white supremacy...” 5 White nationalist flyers like these from the group Patriot Front are distributed in schools and communities as a way to draw attention and recruit members. 7 White nationalists in the United States insist that the successes of the Civil Rights movement
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