Literary Arts Magazine Spring 2019 | Page 54

GED IN ENGLISH Hate-Related Incidents in the United States; Three Strategies to Resist Act of Violence Anatole Ngassam The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate crimes nationwide, documented a total of 1,863 hate-related incidents between Novem- ber 9 and March 31, 2017, of which 330 occurred on college campuses” (Jeremy Bauer- Wolf). In the article “Racist Incidents at Colleges Abound as Academic Year Begins,” Bauer-Wolf attracts people’s attention to the increase of hate-related incidents in the United States and particu- larly on college campuses. This kind of racially moti- vated behavior deeply rooted in American society is becom- ing the “new norm” and is very difficult to solve. However, the article discusses that there are three effective strategies to resist hate-related inci- dents: first, the use of specific education models to promote diversity, tolerance, inclusion, and acceptance; next, the use of specific bystander inter- vention strategies to promote the “community of respon- sibility” model, and finally, the creation of alternative Targeted people from minority strategies to draw people’s groups and immigrant fami- attention away from hate. lies are assaulted by white nationalists who do not appre- One way to resist hate-re- ciate the impact of diversity lated incidents in American and the value of inclusion society is to use a specific in the American society. education model to promote 54 diversity, tolerance, inclusion, and acceptance. Discrimina- tion is learned at early age, often at home. An 8 year old child is naturally curious about people who are different, is aware of the skin color differ- ences, and already has a percep- tion that “white” is desirable. At age of 12, the child can hold stereotypes about ethnic, racial, and religious groups, or LGBT people. Because stereotypes underlie hate, and because young people commit hate-re- lated crimes, teaching tolerance is critical. Schools can offer lessons in those issues and are ideal environments to counter them because schools mix chil- dren of different backgrounds, place them on equal footing, and allow one-on-one interaction.