TEN WAYs To FIGHT HATE a community response guide TEN WAYs To FIGHT HATE Hate in america is a dreadful, daily constant. the dragging death of a black man in Jasper, texas; the crucifixion of a gay man in Laramie, Wyo.; and the stabbing death of a Latino immigrant in Long island, n.Y., are not “isolated incidents.” they are eruptions of a nation’s intolerance. Bias is a human condition, and American history is rife A definitive study by the U.S. Department of Justice in with prejudice against groups and individuals because 2005 estimated there are about 191,000 hate crime inci- of their race, religion, disability, sexual orientation or dents per year. other differences. The 20th century saw major progress in outlawing discrimination, and most Americans today The Good neWs Is … support integrated schools and neighborhoods. But ste- All over the country people are fighting hate, standing reotypes and unequal treatment persist, an atmosphere up to promote tolerance and inclusion. More often than often exploited by hate groups. not, when hate flares up, good people rise up against it When bias motivates an unlawful act, it is consid- — often in greater numbers and with stronger voices. ered a hate crime. Race and religion inspire most hate This guide sets out 10 principles for fighting hate, crimes, but hate today wears many faces. Bias incidents along with a collection of inspiring stories of people who (eruptions of hate where no crime is committed) also worked to push hate out of their communities. tear communities apart — and threaten to escalate into Whether you need a crash course to deal with an actual crimes. upcoming white-power rally, a primer on the media or a In recent years, the FBI has reported between 7,000 long-range plan to promote tolerance in your community, and 8,000 hate crime incidents per year in the United you will find practical advice, timely examples and helpful States. But law enforcement officials acknowledge that resources in this guide. The steps outlined here have been hate crimes — similar to rape and family violence crimes tested in scores of communities across the nation by a — go under-reported, with many victims reluctant to go wide range of human rights, faith and civic organizations. to the police. In addition, some police agencies are not Our experience shows that one person, acting from con- fully trained to recognize or investigate hate crimes, and science and love, is able to neutralize bigotry. Imagine, then, many simply do not collect or report hate crime data. what an entire community, working together, might do. TODD ROBERTSON/GAINESVILLE TIMES 1. ACT 2. UNITE 3. sUPPoRT 4.Y do oUR 5. CREATE AN Do something. In Call a friend or co- THE VICTIMs HoMEWoRK ALTERNATIVE the face of hatred, worker. Organize Hate crime victims An informed cam- Do not attend a hate apathy will be inter- allies from churches, are especially vul- paign improves rally. Find another preted as acceptance schools, clubs and nerable, fearful and its effectiveness. outlet for anger and — by the perpetra- other civic groups. alone. If you’re a vic- Determine if a hate frustration and for tors, the public and, Create a diverse tim, report every group is involved, people’s desire to do worse, the victims. coalition. Include incident — in detail and research its sym- something. Hold a Decent people must children, police and — and ask for help. bols and agenda. unity rally or parade take action; if we the media. Gather If you learn about Understand the dif- to draw media atten- don’t, hate persists. ideas from everyone, a hate crime victim ference between a tion away from hate. and get everyone page 4 in your community, hate crime and a bias involved. page 12 show support. Let incident. page 6 victims know you page 10 care. Surround them with comfort and protection. page 8 2 6.UP sPEAK 7. LoBBY 8. LooK 9. TEACH 10. dIG Hate must be LEAdERs LoNG RANGE ToLERANCE dEEPER exposed and Elected officials and Promote toler- Bias is learned early, Look inside your- denounced. Help other community ance and address usually at home. self for prejudices news organizations leaders can be bias before another Schools can offer and stereotypes. achieve balance important allies in hate crime can lessons of tolerance Build your own cul- and depth. Do not the fight against occur. Expand your and acceptance. tural competency, debate hate group hate. But some must community’s com- Sponsor an “I Have then keep working members in con- overcome reluctance fort zones so you a Dream” contest. to expose discrimi- flict-driven forums. — and others, their can learn and live Reach out to young nation wherever it Instead, speak up own biases — before together. people who may be happens — in hous- in ways that draw they’re able to take a susceptible to hate ing, employment, attention away from page 18 stand. group propaganda education and more. hate, toward unity. and prejudice. page 16 page 22 page 14 page 20 A list of resources begins on page 28 3 ten ways to fight hate 1.1. acactT Do Something. in the face of hatred, apathy will be interpreted as acceptance—by the perpetrators, the public and, worse, the vic- tims. Decent people must take action; if we don’t, hate persists. a hate group is coming to our town. What should I got involved,” Christine Iverson said. “The answer is we do?” simple. I was so upset after reading the article that I “I am very alarmed at hate crimes…What can I, as one had to do something. So I got up and made a phone call. person, do to help?” Everything else came from that moment of decision.” “I find myself wanting to act, to show support for the Iverson, a disaster response expert and minister for victims, to demonstrate my anger and sorrow… But I don’t Lutheran Social Services, called a friend involved in the know what to do or how to begin.” church’s anti-racism program. Then she called the vic- If you’ve opened this guide, you probably want to “do tim. Then she called a ministerial alliance and asked to something” about hate. You are not alone. Questions like be put on the agenda. She went to the meeting with four these arrive daily at the Southern Poverty Law Center. proposals: a letter to the editor, a prayer meeting, flier When a hate crime occurs or a hate group rallies, good distribution and a candlelight vigil. The alliance recom- people often feel helpless. We encourage you to act, for mended all four, and Iverson was put in charge. the following reasons: The result was a gathering of 300 people, a speech by Hate is an open attack on tolerance and decency. It must the mayor, news accounts of the rally, and the formation be countered with acts of goodness. Sitting home with of a unity committee within the church alliance. More your virtue does no good. In the face of hate, silence is than 150 people marched for the first time in a Martin deadly. Apathy will be interpreted as acceptance – by the Luther King Jr. Day parade, and an essay contest was perpetrators, the public and, worse, the victims. If left created on the theme “We Have a Dream.” unchallenged, hate persists and grows. “There is still a lot of work to be done,” Iverson said, Hate is an attack on a community’s health. Hate tears soci- “but we are beginning to do the work together.” ety along racial, ethnic, gender and religious lines. The U.S. Department of Justice warns that hate crimes, do something more than any other crime, can trigger larger commu- When hate happens, we are faced with two choices: nity conflict, civil disturbances and even riots. For all Do nothing, and let hate go unchallenged. their “patriotic” rhetoric, hate groups and their freelance Or do something — rise up, speak up and stand up imitators are really trying to divide us; their views are against hate. fundamentally anti-democratic. True patriots fight hate. People across the country routinely choose the Hate escalates. Take seriously the smallest hint of latter, making differences, small and large, in their hate — even what appears to be simple name-calling. communities. The Department of Justice again has a warning: Slurs > A sixth-grade class in Morgantown, W.V., painted often escalate to harassment, harassment to threats and over skinhead graffiti on the outside wall of a conve- threats to physical violence. Don’t wait to fight hate. nience store. Their teacher had used the graffiti to discuss hatred and violence. After watching “Not In Our One PHone CalL Town,” a video of how Billings, Mont., fought hate, the When a cross was burned in the yard of a single mother of children concluded that, left to stand, the graffiti would Portuguese descent in Rushville, Mo., one person’s actions convey community apathy. They became role models set in motion a community uprising against hatred. within Morgantown, with press coverage and congrat- “I have been asked many times since that night why ulations from the state attorney general. 4 > In 2002, a Sacramento, Calif., not once but twice after racist van- man spearheaded a campaign to dals destroyed it in 1985 and burned halt the sales of neo-Nazi clothing it to the ground in 1995. Discouraged at Target stores in his community, * and exhausted after the second inci- sparking nationwide change. A What Can dent and with continuous personal clothing line with “88” symbols — H threats to her safety, the 65-year-old is the eighth letter of the alphabet, You Do? white woman nonetheless fired up a and 88 is white-power code for “Heil Pick up the phone.