August 12 marks the second anniversary of the deadly Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville. As we mourn last week’s attacks along with communities in California, Texas and Ohio—and across the United States—we hold all survivors in our hearts. In this edition of The Moment, we share three stories from Charlottesville—stories of a mother, a student and a district that responded to hate with not only love but with a commitment to justice.
Every year, we hear of students and educators whose Halloween costumes reinforce stereotypes, bolster systems of oppression or even make light of hate. In these cases, a simple conversation might have prevented a lot of harm. We hope you'll take the time to talk with your students about their Halloween costume choices this year—and think carefully about your own. Here's a place to start.
We join you in mourning those lost to violence this weekend. Like many of you, we’re feeling angry, exhausted and heartbroken. We take some solace in offering these resources for supporting your students and communities and for doing what you can to fight hate before it turns violent. After losses like these, we know we must move forward. But we refuse to move on.
This Media Literacy Week, it’s more important than ever to ensure your students are informed digital citizens. As Election Day approaches, your students are encountering plenty of online information about issues that affect them and their communities. Our digital literacy resources can help you teach them to evaluate and check sources for bias, interrupt hate speech, and critically analyze and discuss online information about the election.
The rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia in the United States requires us all to help ensure children’s right to an education free from bigotry in an inclusive and supportive environment. Our newest article provides essential overviews of Islamophobia and antisemitism and context for how these forms of hate and bias can manifest in schools. The accompanying toolkit shares practical guidance, strategies and resources for countering bigotry and fostering safer and more inclusive culture in schools and communities.