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Friend, In their just-released 2020 annual hate crime report, the FBI recorded 7,759 hate crimes — the highest number in a dozen years. The numbers reveal a 6 percent increase from 2019, with deeply-disturbing increases in attacks against Black (a 43 percent increase) and Asian (a 53 percent increase) victims. The FBI also documented a sharp, disturbing escalation in gender-identity-based hate crimes, which increased 19 percent following an 18 percent increase in 2019. The numbers do not speak for themselves. The impact of each hate crime does not end with its devastating consequences for the victim and their loved ones. Behind each and every one of the reported crimes is a victim of violence, intimidation or vandalism – targeted for their race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, gender identity or sexual orientation. These hate crimes tear at the fabric of our communities and cause members of targeted groups to fear for their safety each day. Although these numbers paint a stark picture of hate in our country, they are notably incomplete. Hate crime reporting from law enforcement agencies has declined for the past three years, and almost 80 cities with a population over 100,000 either affirmatively reported zero hate crimes or did not report any data to the FBI at all. When members of marginalized or targeted groups do not feel safe reporting hate crimes, or when the law enforcement agency to whom they report does not respond accordingly, we cannot fight them effectively. That’s why one of the most important actions each of us can take to prevent hate crimes in our communities is to hold our leaders accountable. We all must call on elected officials and local leaders to speak out against hate and extremism and take proactive steps to urge police departments to improve their hate crime reporting and prevention programs. But, we cannot outlaw hate. We’re working to create long-term solutions to hate violence by helping educators foster more inclusive school communities and inspiring students to take those lessons outward. SPLC’s Learning for Justice program provides educators with free resources that can help counter hate in schools. Responding to Hate and Bias at School is a guide for administrators, counselors and teachers with guidance on responding to a bias incident or hate crime. The guide can help educators assess their school climates to prevent hate incidents and put plans in place for responding during and after a crisis. The guide also includes an accompanying professional development webinar for educators. In LFJ’s webinar Combating Online Youth Radicalization, with co-hosts from SPLC’s Intelligence Project and American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab (PERIL), educators can learn about combating the radicalization of young people online. The webinar covers the relationship between digital literacy and radicalization, warning signs and the ways online hate affects targeted groups. In addition to directly addressing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on radicalization efforts, the webinar also provides tools for intervening with vulnerable students and responding when incidents occur. Digital and civic literacy skills are key tools for young people in resisting and countering online hate and extremism. Learning for Justice’s Digital Literacy Framework offers seven key areas in which students need support developing digital and civic literacy skills. The framework includes K-12 lessons, classroom videos and The Mind Online podcast for educators. This LFJ article offers information for educators about our ally Western States Center’s Confronting White Nationalism in Schools toolkit and explains how educators can play a critical role in recognizing and addressing white nationalism. In solidarity, Your friends at the Southern Poverty Law Center
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