During the workshop, Julia and I screened the 30-minute documentary Waking in Oak Creek, created by Not in Our Town and the U.S. Department of Justice following the tragic gurdwara attack in a Sikh community on August 5th, 2012. The documentary discusses the idea of being an upstander: someone who actively seeks to change discourse around religion being harmful, instead of a bystander who watches these conversations happen without trying to change attitudes around religious difference. The documentary highlights the love and grace displayed by Sikh victims’ families and friends in the face of the attacker’s violent acts of hate.
Blog
April 29, 2015 - 9:09am
This blog is the second in a three-part series that links three important ideas—implicit bias, stereotype threat and identity safety—all backed by research. Republished with permission from Teaching Tolerance.
By Becki Cohn-Vargas
Not In Our School Director
April 28, 2015 - 10:10am
Last fall, Alexandria’s Inclusion Network conducted a two-day training for first-year law enforcement students at the Alexandria Technical and Community College. Graduates from the program frequently apply for the state patrol or end up serving at departments and agencies across the country, including border patrol.
April 23, 2015 - 2:06pm
When I became a Junior at Soledad High School in 2011, I realized two things: time was running out, and I needed to do something to distinguish myself for college. Therefore, in order to stand out, I looked to personal experience: bullying. Little did I know that what started as a silver lining for my college application would change my life, and make me recognize that extending one’s own moral determination would be just as fulfilling as getting a higher education.
April 22, 2015 - 7:06pm
As educators, it may seem overwhelming that, in addition to addressing overt racism in our classrooms and schools, we also need to tackle unconscious racial prejudices, known as “implicit bias,” not only in our students, but in ourselves. However, it is possible to address implicit bias, and the solutions are in our hands.