(Jewish Group) The fight against rising hatred and bigotry must begin with teachers and students

[Behind the Aegis]

(THIS IS THE JEWISH GROUP! RESPECT!!)

Hate groups and white supremacists are targeting the next generation. Anti-bias education can help create upstanding students and a better world.

Last summer, as most teachers were still preparing their classrooms for students, the largest and most violent gathering of white supremacists in decades took place. Teachers were left wondering how they should discuss this horrific event with students and how students would react. For those teaching early grade students, many questioned whether they should have the conversation at all, and, if so, what kind of information was appropriate.

The bigotry that was on display in Charlottesville, unfortunately, is part of a broader rise in hate and anti-Semitic incidents. Last year, there was a 57 percent surge in anti-Semitism. This was mostly due to a massive increase in anti-Semitic incidents targeting students across the country, led by an astounding 94 percent rise at K-12 schools and an 89 percent gain on college campuses. Incidents at schools have nearly doubled two years in a row.

Why is this happening? The rise in activities from hate groups and white supremacists in the past few years has coincided with the increasingly divisive nature of our national discourse. They have tried — and in some cases succeeded — to take advantage of the extreme partisanship to spread their extreme views in all manner of ways. They have exploited the immigration issue, falsely equated the removal of Confederate monuments to erasing history in general, and likened their violations of term agreements on social media to censorship of “all conservatives.”

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