In Pursuit of Tolerance

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Barbara J. Feldman

Edmund Burke, an eighteenth-century writer and philosopher said "The only thing necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." If spreading tolerance and stopping hatred is important to you, the following sites offer both historical perspective and concrete action items.

Close the Book on Hate: 101 Ways to Combat Prejudice

5 stars

Barnes & Noble and ADL joined forces to create "Close the Book on Hate" after the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999. You can browse through the anti-hate tips by using the left-hand menu, or download the easy-to-print PDF version by clicking on the cover image on the right. Highlights include a glossary and an extensive reading list for further study. A free print brochure is also available at all Barnes & Noble bookstores.

Not in Our Town

4 stars

"In 1993, hate activities in Billings [Montana] reached a crescendo. KKK fliers were distributed, the Jewish cemetery was desecrated, the home of a Native American family was painted with swastikas, and a brick was thrown through the window of a six-year-old boy who displayed a Menorah for Hanukkah." Not in Our Town is a PBS film and website that tells the story of how thousands of citizens stood up against the bullies, and declared their town hate-free. Click on Get Involved to learn how you can bring the Not in Our Town campaign to your town or school.

Partners Against Hate

5 stars

"An alarming and disproportionately high percentage of both the victims of hate violence and the perpetrators are young people under 18 years of age." This website offers guidance (in the form of printable manuals) for anyone wanting to combat this terrible trend. There are separate sections for students (start an anti-bias program at your school), parents, teachers and law enforcement. To search for answers to commonly asked questions, click on Hate Response Network.

Project Change

5 stars

Project Change, sponsored by Levi-Strauss, is an online network supporting a variety of anti-racism groups. Best clicks are Symbols of Hate and Oppression (an outstanding interactive animation that explores a dozen racial stereotypes), AntiRacism.Net (an archive of news stories and a great for resource for research papers) and Publications (for community activists working to fight racism.)

Tolerance.org

5 stars

Tolerance.org is a project of The Southern Poverty Law Center. It is my anti-hate pick of the day because it has a kids section (listen to an ancient Turkish folk tale,) a teen page (start a Mix It Up Dialogue at school) and resources for teachers and parents. There are excellent tools and activities behind every click, but of particular interest to me was Hate on the Internet, an annotated tour of real-life hate sites. You'll find it listed under Parents/Online Activities/Age 14 and up.