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The Historical Harm of Blackface: How to Talk with Young People

Article

Reproduction of a 1900 William H. West minstrel show poster showing white and black face

February 15, 2019 Blackface has taken center stage in our public discourse. Again. Virginia is embroiled in a controversy based on admissions by Governor Ralph Northam and Attorney General Mark Herring to wearing blackface in the past. The list of celebrities and other public figures who publicly condone blackface is growing and there are others entering the spotlight. Just a few months ago, NBC host Megyn Kelly set off her own controversy when she defended blackface as a Halloween costume…

February 15, 2019

Anxiety and Hate? MLK Would Have a Different Message

News

by: Jonathan Greenblatt | January 18, 2019 Medium This weekend is the annual time of year when we reflect upon and remember Dr. Martin Luther King, and how his unflinching courage in the face of unrepentant racism proved that good is more powerful than evil. His moral leadership and political smarts ushered in a wave of legislation that enshrined the equality of all people under the law. His inner strength and outward calm created a high bar that activists still seek to meet. It’s…

January 18, 2019

The Week in Hate and Bias and How to Talk with Young People

Article

Pittsburgh Synagogue Shooting Governor Wolf Gives Remarks

by: Jinnie Spiegler October 29, 2018 Last week, we saw several hate-inspired incidents that have shaken our nation. Many are worried about the toxic nature of our discourse, the direction our country is headed and how we explain all of this to young people. The week started with a string of thirteen separate pipe bombs sent to a group of mostly prominent Democrats: former Presidents Obama and Clinton, progressive philanthropist George Soros, several members of Congress, former…

October 29, 2018

Letter to the Office for Civil Rights at HHS Regarding South Carolina Adoption Issue

Letter

October 23, 2018 In a letter to Roger Severino, Director of the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), ADL called for the rejection of South Carolina's request to allow federally funded, faith-based foster agencies within the State to deny applications of prospective Jewish and other foster parents on the basis of religion. October 23, 2018 Mr. Roger Severino Director of the Office for Civil Rights U.S. Department of Health and Human…

October 23, 2018

Native American Heritage Month

Tools and Strategies

November is Native American Heritage Month, which was first declared by President George H.W. Bush in 1990. The month provides an opportunity to commemorate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions and histories and acknowledge the important contributions of Native American/Indigenous people. It is also an important time to educate the general public, as well as young people in schools, about the bias, discrimination and unique challenges faced by Native American/Indigenous people…

October 12, 2018

Remarks by Robert Trestan to OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights in Paris

News

Ensuring Religious Freedom Remains Safe in France: Best Practices from America October 10, 2018 Introduction Anti-Semitism remains the world’s oldest forms of hatred. The targeting and scapegoating of Jews and Jewish communities dates back centuries. With the passing of each year, decade and century, the Anti-Semites have adapted, never giving up, always using the latest, most modern, most technologically advanced techniques to target, and intimidate us, and the one thing that has…

October 10, 2018

Remarks by ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt to the 109th NAACP Annual Convention

News

Remarks, as delivered, to the NAACP Annual Convention in San Antonio, Texas July 16, 2018 Remarks as delivered Thank you, Gary, and good morning, NAACP! It is so great for me to be here with you today. You know, two months ago, my friend – and your President and CEO – Derrick Johnson, addressed the Anti-Defamation League at our National Leadership Summit in Washington D.C. in a room a lot like this. And in a speech no one on our side will soon forget,…

July 16, 2018

Words Matter: Standing Up to Bigoted Language

Article

African American Male Teacher with Students in Class

January 17, 2018 Updated: July 16, 2019 It has become commonplace to witness a public display of bigoted and offensive language. In a tweet, President Trump remarked that four U.S. Congresswomen of color (Ocasio-Cortez, Omar, Pressley and Tlaib) should “go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came.” The language of "go back to where you came from" is widely recognized as a racist slur, and in particular this one is also…

January 16, 2018

Your Turn: 4 Things You Can Do to Honor Martin Luther King in 2018

News

January 05, 2018 The Arizona Republic By Carlos Galindo-Elvira | Arizona Regional Director What does Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy mean to us in these challenging times? Dr. King exposed the brutality of discriminatory laws and institutionalized racism. He served a greater good. His purpose was to remove the burden of oppression. He reminded us about the importance of "content of character." As we head toward another day of remembering Dr. King, his own…

January 05, 2018

It's Not OK for Businesses to Discriminate in the Name of Religion

Article

ADL gay wedding cake, masterpiece cake shop scotus, SCOTUS gay wedding

December 01, 2017 By David Barkey, Religious Freedom Counsel & Southeastern Area Counsel The U.S. Supreme Court soon will hear oral arguments in a case called Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission. Cakeshop’s owner is asking the Court do something unprecedented – allow him based on religious objections to refuse service to customers for who they are. ADL recently joined an amicus brief to the Court filed by a coalition of civil rights and religious…

December 01, 2017

Why We Need Diverse Books

Tools and Strategies

For parents, families and young people Topic SummaryIn recent years, there has been a lot of attention paid to the diversity of children’s books, shining a light on the lack of diversity and amplifying the need for more children’s and young adult literature that reflects our multicultural society. In 2014, an organization named We Need Diverse Books formed, following a regularly trending hashtag with the same name (#WeNeedDiverseBooks) that helped bring attention to the issue. We…

November 03, 2017

How Should We Talk With Young People About Charlottesville?

Article

Parents Talking with Their Teenage Daughter Outside

August 29, 2017 Adults and children alike are grappling to make sense of current events. Discussions of racism, anti-Semitism and social injustice have become increasingly contentious as images of white supremacists carrying torches and chanting hateful rhetoric in Charlottesville fill our social media feeds and television screens. Children are attuned to these conversations and disturbing images of violence, hate and incivility, and are seeking comfort and answers from teachers, family…

August 29, 2017

Charlottesville Roundup: Lessons to Use in Your Classroom Today

Article

Male Teacher Helping Students in Classroom

August 29, 2017 In response to the recent events in Charlottesville, Facing History and Ourselves, Teaching Tolerance, the Anti-Defamation League, the American Federation of Teachers, and EduColor teamed up to support educators as they return to the classroom. Hosted and led by AFT, we asked educators what topics they were most concerned about and addressed them in a co-hosted webinar, “When Hate Is in the Headlines: Resources for K–12 Educators.” Together, we offered…

August 29, 2017

Charlottesville Rally: Hate. Plain and Simple. (WATCH)

News

August 16, 2017 At the “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, anti-Semitism was on full display. White supremacists marched through the streets shouting obscenities at crowds of protesters where they spewed Nazi slogans, anti-Semitic, racist and homophobic phrases. The chaos surrounding the event was significant for a number of reasons, even beyond the violence and hatred on display. Rally organizers convinced hundreds of white supremacists to overlook their ideological…

August 16, 2017

Lessons to Teach and Learn from 'Unite the Right'

Article

Teenage Students and Teacher in a Class Debate

August 13, 2017 Racial hatred, bias and white supremacy were on full display in Charlottesville, Virginia this weekend. In the largest and most violent gathering of white supremacists in decades, “Unite the Right” brought together white supremacist groups including the alt-right, neo-Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan. Their stated goal was to save the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, because like other places in the South, there are still monuments there celebrating heroes…

August 13, 2017

5 Things to Know about the Jewish High Holidays

Tools and Strategies

For Educators | For Parents, Families, and Caregivers Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, the High Holidays, are celebrated by Jewish people all over the world. The High Holidays fall on different days each year. For the specific dates each year, check our Calendar of Observances. These and other Jewish holidays fall on different days in our calendar because they follow the Jewish calendar, which has a different number of days than our calendar. The Jewish calendar is a Soli-lunar calendar.&nbsp…

June 06, 2017

Unconstitutional Backdoor School Prayer Bill Will Have Unintended Consequences

Article

May 12, 2017 The Florida Legislature recently enacted a back door school prayer bill – Senate Bill 436, the so-called "Florida Student and School Personnel Religious Liberties Act," which the Governor is expected to sign. It is intended to do an end run around U.S. Supreme Court decisions barring school-sponsored prayer in K-12 public schools. Senate Bill 436 (“SB 436”) is unnecessary, raises serious constitutional issues, and creates a legal quagmire for Florida…

May 12, 2017

ADL Statement for House Judiciary Subcommittee Hearings on Religious Liberty

Letter

February 16, 2017 The Honorable Steve King Chair House Judiciary Subcommittee on the on the Constitution and Civil Justice U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 The Honorable Steve Cohen Ranking Member House Judiciary Subcommittee on the on the Constitution and Civil Justice U.S. House of Representatives Washington, D.C. 20515 Dear Chairman King and Ranking Member Cohen: We write to provide the views of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) for…

February 16, 2017

Distribution of Religious Materials and Proselytizing by Outside Groups and Individuals

Tools and Strategies

For Educators Individuals, including parents, and groups who have no formal relationship to a school (Third Parties) may distribute religious materials, including Bibles, to students outside of school premises. They may also discuss religious matters with students. Third-party materials or publications of a religious viewpoint may be distributed on- campus to the same extent distribution of third-party secular materials is permitted. However, courts have applied different rules to…

March 05, 2017

Release Time Programs

Tools and Strategies

For Educators Release time in the public schools refers to programs in which students are released from school early to attend religious classes off school premises. Participating students must have permission from their parents. Nonparticipating students remain in school. Such programs may be constitutional if the religious classes take place off school grounds, if no public school funds are expended, and if school officials or teachers do not promote program attendance through coercion or…

March 04, 2017