12 Mar Youth Leaders Take Action to ‘UP End Hate’

Rachel Hunkler, director of programs and evaluation at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, during a Feb. 25 UP End Hate webinar. (Screenshot captured by Aina de Lapparent Alvarez / The CC Pulse)

By Aina de Lapparent Alvarez 

In a country increasingly divided by hate and intolerance, a group of young leaders is stepping up to make a change and offer solutions. Through UP End Hate, a campaign to “Unite, Prevent, and End Hate-Based Violence,” they’re providing a platform for youth to confront hate head-on and develop strategies for creating safer, more inclusive communities.

UP End Hate hosted four interactive webinars in February and March for youth ages 12 to 22 on how to confront all forms of hate. It is an initiative of the Eradicate Hate Global Summit with support from Moonshot, the Reilly Group, and Community Matters and funding from the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships.

>>Stop the Hate:
‘Eradicating Hate Begins With Young People’<<<

When Jamya Davis asked her fellow webinar organizers at the first one, held Feb. 25, what types of hate they had witnessed, her peers were quick to share their experiences.

Emma Bonney recalled how anti-LGBTQ+ hate had escalated throughout the previous year. In November, one of her best friends found an anti-LGBTQ+ slur written on her dorm room door at the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. Although an RA addressed the issue swiftly, the painful memory made it hard for Bonney’s friend to feel comfortable and accepted.

“Since January, it’s gotten out of hand and a lot worse,” Bonney said. “People are a lot more open about their misunderstanding and hatred.”

Sabrina Huynh, a student at Loyola University in New Orleans, said that not everyone can stand up for themselves.

Huynh, who volunteers as an English teacher for non-native speakers on weekends, said her students, as well as international students at her university, don’t always recognize the discrimination they face at school or in the workplace. “It leaves them in a very vulnerable place to receive mistreatment,” she said.

Rachel Hunkler, director of programs and evaluation at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, emphasized the vital role youth play in community safety. 

“All the students in the audience, you all are one of the key factors in keeping our communities safe,” she said. Hunkler also said that acts of violence “are preventable when people in the community notice signs that something is going wrong and speak up and do something about it.”

>>>Read: FBI Hate Crime Report says Juveniles Targeted at Schools<<<

According to a study by the United States Secret Service cited by Hunkler, 94% of people planning an attack on a campus communicate their intentions to peers or adults or online. Furthermore, 57% of people who committed a mass attack had previously displayed behaviors that made someone fear for the safety of themselves or others. Notably, 82% of planned campus attacks were prevented by someone speaking up.

In both the general session and smaller breakout groups, participants discussed ways to stand up to hate, acknowledging the challenges that often accompany such efforts.

Huynh and Bonney said visibility and leadership are powerful tools. They both agree that student-led initiatives empower peers to speak up and foster open dialogue.

Díaz, 17, said she has seen students become empowered through actions like drafting resolutions, meeting with legislators, and starting or joining one of the more than 300 student organizations at her university.

“I was intimidated because I don’t have that much experience under my belt,” she said. “But what you have to be open to is that as long as you have that idea and passion, it’s really easy to get the movement started.”

Then, from there, an open dialogue needs to be started as well.

Many participants noted that direct confrontation can often be ineffective. Bonney explained that this makes standing up to hate even more challenging.

“It’s not very successful because most people start defending themselves because they never want to be the person that is discriminating,” she said. “And I haven’t really found a way around that. It’s very difficult because it’s such a sensitive topic.”

Bonney added that outside trusted circles, such as a close friend group, confrontations can put one’s safety at risk and are often better avoided.

Andrew Craig, a 17-year-old from western Pennsylvania, suggested that being direct can be an effective response when faced with hate-fueled misinformation. He advised his breakout group to avoid attacking a person’s character and instead focus on challenging their opinions.

“By saying you’re on the wrong side of history, you shut the conversation down,” he said.

Huynh disagreed with focusing solely on individual actions, which she said can be performative and ineffective. Instead, she argued that addressing hate requires broader educational reform that instills anti-racism into young minds.

Teenagers and young adults can make a difference at this level too.

Through the Louisiana Youth Advisory Council, Díaz created discussion-based card games for young elementary students. The game is designed to help children who missed out on crucial socialization during COVID-19 lockdowns discuss identity and related topics.

Davis stressed that the biggest request youth have for adults is to recognize them as serious partners in ending hate. “Youth want adults to take them seriously,” she said. “We need to be viewed as allies in this work.”