October 25, 2018 In a recent tweet, President Trump called a woman a disparaging name. It was Stephanie Clifford (Stormy Daniels) whom he called “horseface.” Similar insults towards women include those based on looks (“ugly both inside and out”), bodily functions (“You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.”), comparisons to animals (“that dog”) or an aspect of their identity (“Pocahontas”)…

April 18, 2018 ADL and Education Since our signature education programs were started in the 1980s, ADL has reached millions of adults and youth through our education programs. And these programs have been widely recognized and peer-reviewed for their efficacy in promoting justice in schools and society. Today, ADL is one of the leading providers in the United States of anti-bias and anti-hate content and resources to schools and law enforcement. ADL education programs,…

March 12, 2018 Since the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas HS in Parkland, Florida, students have been engaging in a variety of actions to force change on gun control, including preparations for nationwide student walkouts on March 14 and April 20. Teachable Moments Whether you personally support these walkouts or not, as a teacher or school administrator they are an opportunity to elevate student voice and action as powerful teachable moments. These can include conversations…

February 28, 2018 This post originally appeared on the Leadership 360 blog in Education Week on February 22, 2018. Last week at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, seventeen students and adults were murdered in a mass shooting. What happened next was unusual. Instead of waiting for adults to act, students took the lead. They are giving fiery speeches, demanding their turn to enact change. Emma Gonzalez, a senior at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School,…

January 25, 2018 In July 2017, after seven days of statements and testimony from more than 150 sexual abuse survivors, Larry Nassar, the former team doctor for the U.S. gymnastics team, was sentenced to 40 to 175 years in prison. From the women's testimony, here's what we learned: Many of the accusers were minors, as young as six years old, at the time of the assaults. Most of the women were gymnasts but they also included dancers, rowers and runners. Some of those who shared their experiences…

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…

November 27, 2017 Our country is engaged in a public conversation about sexual harassment and assault. Since the Harvey Weinstein allegations came to light, there is a long and growing list of 33 high-profile men who have been accused of sexual harassment. As we watch the cascade of accusations, admissions and denials, we have to ask ourselves if we are capable of making a difference with the next generation. How can we address sexual harassment and assault with children and teens so that…

October 03, 2017 In August 2016, then-NFL San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick decided to take a stand about racial injustice by refusing to stand for the National Anthem at football games. He spent much of the season either sitting or kneeling during the anthem. Fast forward to the 2017 football season where the controversy emerged again when on a Sunday in September, more than 200 NFL players took a knee during the Anthem.  This recent controversy over NFL players and…

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 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 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…

April 04, 2017 The past two years have been challenging for certain groups of people, especially those targeted during the 2016 presidential election campaign with taunts, verbal attacks, name-calling and threats. Now that the election is over, those threats have resulted in proposed policy, legislation and executive orders affecting those very same people. This has left many—especially immigrants and Muslim people—feeling fearful, on edge, marginalized and worried about their…