24 November 2009

Speaking Up Against Intolerance

The Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Alabama, was founded in 1971 as a small law firm working to defend civil rights. Today, the center tracks hate crimes, teaches tolerance, and continues to achieve significant legal victories against hate groups.

The center published Speak Up! to help people respond to everyday bigotry and intolerance. People across the United States told their stories: about family, friends, classmates and coworkers; about things they wished they had said to stand up against intolerance.

One woman speaks about her mother who she says “uses racial and ethnic terminology — the Mexican checkout clerk, the black saleslady — in casual stories in which race and ethnicity are not factors. Of course, if the person is white, she never bothers to mention it.”

From standing against intolerance at home, at work, in e-mail, to even among close friends, Speak Up! explores how intolerance is an issue in everyday life.

How do you fight intolerance where you live?

Download Speak Up! (PDF, 1.3MB)