Youth Lead the Fight Against Hate in Olympia, WA

When the white supremacist group National Socialist Movement began organizing in Olympia, student leaders decided to take action by organizing a school wide assembly to address the threat and express their values for a safe and accepting community. (3:00)

Discussion Questions:

1. One student spoke about the need for “active participation” to ensure their town was not a place for hate. What does the idea of “active participation” mean to you? Does it apply to everyone in a community?  Why or why not?
2. The students profiled in the video shared that there were small numbers of students of color in their community and that they were each often the only non-Caucasian student in class.   What impact do you think this had on their decision to lead efforts against the neo-Nazis in their town?  Do you think this made it harder or easier for them to take on this challenge? Explain.
3. One student shared that “The enemy is not the Nazis, but any form of hate.”  How do you think that these students could continue to promote anti-hate efforts in their school and community beyond the crisis they faced with the neo-Nazi group?  Are these activities that we could apply to our own school or community?

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Learn how to start a NIOS campaign at your school with our free Not In Our School Quick Start Guide.

This video is part of the Not In Our School Video Action Kit, a comprehensive toolkit featuring films, lessons, and resources designed to motivate students to speak out against bullying, and create new ways to make their schools safe for everyone. Learn more about the Video Action Kit.