Research & Analysis

The fight against hate never rests. Get the latest up-to-date analysis on current events 
related to our work battling hate and extremism.

35 Results

Back

Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism

Tools and Strategies
High School Students Taking Part in Group Discussion Circle
For Educators Because discussions of race and racism are part of our public discourse, educators feel a sense of responsibility to bring these topics into their classrooms—because young people want to be part of the conversation and should be.  If handled effectively, these discussions provide opportunities for timely learning. Below are suggestions and strategies for having classroom conversations with young people about race and racism. Prior to these discussions and…
Read more about Race Talk: Engaging Young People in Conversations about Race and Racism

The Rachel Dolezal Teachable Moment

Article
by: Jinnie Array June 19, 2015   Rachel Dolezal, President of the Spokane, Washington chapter of the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People), made headlines and became the top trending item on Twitter last week when it was discovered that she had been posing as Black for many years. In her interview on the Today Show, she continued to assert: “I identify as Black.” These events have sparked strong emotions—anger, confusion, sympathy,…
Read more about The Rachel Dolezal Teachable Moment

Swimming Pools and Segregation: A Long History

Article
Pullen Park public pool in Raleigh, NC closed in 1962 because of four Black male swimmers
June 15, 2015 In Summer 2015, an incident caught on video captured a police officer outside a community pool who appears to be waving his gun at young partygoers who approached him as he tried to subdue and eventually hold down a teenage girl. She was wearing a bikini because she was at a pool party. The party was held at the community pool in the Craig Ranch North subdivision, which is predominately white although McKinney, Texas is racially diverse. A group of African American…
Read more about Swimming Pools and Segregation: A Long History

To Confront Racism, We Must Also Look In the Mirror

Article
by: Jinnie Array March 16, 2015 Last week, disturbing video emerged of fraternity brothers from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) chapter at the University of Oklahoma laughing while singing a racist chant: “There will never be a ni**** SAE. You can hang him from a tree, but he can never sign with me. There will never be a ni**** SAE.” The news comes on the heels of the recent findings from a Department of Justice investigation in Ferguson, MO which, among other things,…
Read more about To Confront Racism, We Must Also Look In the Mirror

From Selma to Ferguson: Standing Together for Justice

Article
We March With Selma
March 02, 2015 What do you know about the events in Selma, Alabama in the 1960’s? What part of that history speaks to you? This year marks the 50th anniversary of the march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. In the history books, we know this as Bloody Sunday, where 600 peaceful protestors were met with brutality. As events unfolded, the media captured photos and film of what would later become the impetus for thousands to become a part of the movement. Dr. King and his followers…
Read more about From Selma to Ferguson: Standing Together for Justice

Beyond the Dream, Teaching King in Context

Article
Martin Luther King Hand Raised
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is Monday, January 16, and many educators will take the opportunity to teach about King and his enormous contributions to our society. As educators, how we approach the teaching of this holiday makes an impact on how students understand the larger context of the Civil Rights Movement and whether they make a connection between the past struggles to the current day and their own lives. Here are some thoughts about teaching the topic in a meaningful way…
Read more about Beyond the Dream, Teaching King in Context

Beyond Ferguson and Staten Island: Where Do We Go From Here?

Article
by: Oren Segal December 05, 2014 In the wake of two grand jury decisions—in Ferguson, MO and Staten Island, NY—not to indict the police officers who were involved in the killing of black men, the time has come to ask ourselves: Where do we go from here? There are a myriad of ideas and legislation on the table--diversity training for the police, funding to provide body cameras for police officers and legislation to tighten standards on military-style equipment for local police…
Read more about Beyond Ferguson and Staten Island: Where Do We Go From Here?

Stereotyped Theme Parties Are Way More than a Joke on College Campuses

Article
by: Oren Segal February 26, 2014   It happened again. College students dressed up like members of a “culture” for a stereotyped theme party. In the most recent example, sorority students at Columbia University were photographed wearing sombreros, thick mustaches, ponchos and holding maracas. They also portrayed other nationalities. What’s worse is that these types of parties are not anomalies, but common occurrences on college campuses. African-themed…
Read more about Stereotyped Theme Parties Are Way More than a Joke on College Campuses

Incident at University of Mississippi Concerns Racism

Letter
February 21, 2014 Daniel W. Jones, M.D. Chancellor The University of Mississippi Dear Chancellor Jones: We are writing to express our deep concern about the recent incident at the University of Mississippi in which two unidentified men placed a noose around the neck of the statue of James Meredith, the school’s first black student.  There have reportedly been other recent incidences of troubling acts of homophobia and racism. College is a unique and special time in a young person…
Read more about Incident at University of Mississippi Concerns Racism

Challenging Anti-Immigrant Bias with Education

Article
by: Mark Onofrio February 07, 2014 Criticism of immigrant policy is not an excuse to undermine the humanity of others with the kind of vitriol that dominated the internet, especially Twitter, after the Atlanta-based Coca Cola Company aired a commercial with “America the Beautiful,” sung in different languages and featuring a diversity of people during the Super Bowl. The term immigrant is a descriptor, not a slur. However, it is often used in a pejorative way. For those who are…
Read more about Challenging Anti-Immigrant Bias with Education

Richard Sherman and Enduring Racial Stereotypes

Article
by: Mark Onofrio January 24, 2014 We recently had a reminder of the endur­ing power of stereo­types in Amer­i­can when an inter­view by Seat­tle Sea­hawks cor­ner­back Richard Sher­man prompted a slew of racist remarks on Twit­ter and a main­stream media com­men­ta­tor referred to him as a “thug” and an “ape.” While per­haps unin­ten­tional on the part of media com­men­ta­tors, the…
Read more about Richard Sherman and Enduring Racial Stereotypes

Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Article
by: Mark Onofrio January 13, 2014 Five Tips for Working with Children, Tweens and Teens  As we honor Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy through the National Day of Service, we encourage teachers, parents and families to provide community service opportunities for children and youth.  Below are tips to help make the experience meaningful.   “Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to…
Read more about Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

Educator's Lesson Plan: Nelson Mandela

Article
by: Mark Onofrio December 06, 2013   Many educators want to incorporate the passing of significant figures into their classroom discussion. ADL’s Education Division provides resources to educators about contemporary issues and current event topics to help make classroom learning more dynamic forums for critical thinking. In celebration and memory of the life of Nelson Mandela, this special edition of The Current Events Classroom provides students the opportunity to learn…
Read more about Educator's Lesson Plan: Nelson Mandela

The Trouble With Make Me a “Stereotype”

Article
by: Mark Onofrio January 11, 2013 Applications for smartphones and tablets have become an emerging segment of the online and entertainment industry.  As with videos, blogs and social networking platforms which came before, Apps are now being created that some consider funny, but which  actually cross the line from humorous to offensive.  Recent examples include two free apps on Google called “Make Me Asian” and “Make Me Indian,” that allow users to edit…
Read more about The Trouble With Make Me a “Stereotype”