To be honest, I have not yet fully recovered from last week’s election results. Reading this article about hateful speech in schools today felt even more despairing. Everything the 2022 article says still tracks but is even more exacerbated and exists beyond schools and is fully entrenched in society.
The article references 2018 and 2020 post election racism and homophobia, anti-Asian sentiments during COVID, and the black racial justice movement. If this article were updated to cover the last two to four years, the content would cover the genocide in Gaza and Palestinian hate and antisemitism, transphobia during the Olympics, and racism towards Puerto Ricans during the 2024 presidential election campaign.
While threats of violence and harassment are prohibited in schools, students (and and adults) still see celebrities, athletes, politicians doing and saying whatever they want with no repercussions. And while student perspectives are not to be censored (unless speech is harmful to others, inaccurate, or false), book banning is still a common occurrence. How contradictory?
To combat the hateful speech in schools, the organization US vs. Hate works hard to promote inclusion and justice for all in schools and society. Their messages insists publicly that all people are equally valuable. With this fundamental concept as the driving mission, they prove that work can be done.
Because of the complexities that exist in this regard, as educators, “we” as the article encourages, have an important role to play. US vs. Hate provides many various resources for educators, club leaders, and students to have productive conversations, teach anti-hate lessons, build community, and much more.
It is encouraging to see an organization with such bold intentions continuing to do the good work, fighting the good fight, sharing neutral message of respect and anti-hate. What an important thing to do during times like these.
For more information, visit the US vs Hate website or follow them on Instagram at @USvsHATE.