ADL Articles

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From Selma to Ferguson: Standing Together for Justice

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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…
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Beyond the Dream, Teaching King in Context

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

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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…
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Microaggressions Feel Like Broken Glass, So ADL Partnered with MTV

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by: Oren Segal September 04, 2014 I can’t tell Asians apart. You’re different for a Black guy. You don’t look Jewish.  Microaggressions. They are everyday slights, indignities, put-downs and insults that people of color, women, LBGT populations and other marginalized people experience in their day-to-day interactions.  Their impact is often unintended, subtle or seen as innocuous, which makes it easy to dismiss them or tell people who object that they are being…
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Stereotyped Theme Parties Are Way More than a Joke on College Campuses

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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…
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Challenging Anti-Immigrant Bias with Education

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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…
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Richard Sherman and Enduring Racial Stereotypes

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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…
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Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service

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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…
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Educator's Lesson Plan: Nelson Mandela

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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…
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The Trouble With Make Me a “Stereotype”

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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…
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