Did you know that, according to last year's FBI crime statistics, college campuses are among the third most common location for a hate crime to occur? Did you also know that race is the most common bias motivation in reported hate crimes? You can learn more about hate crimes and bias incidents and how to be active in preventing hate crimes on your campus by attending one of our upcoming Stop the Hate Training for Trainers programs.

The Stop the Hate Training for Trainers program is a 3-day intensive course that includes twelve different learning modules. Attendees are involved in a wide variety of learning activities and exercises designed to prepare them to work actively on their campus to prevent hate and bias incidents. Each participant receives a training manual with over 250 pages of content and learning activities contributed by our educational partners. In addition, participants who complete the 3-day program receive a certificate and exclusive access to the Stop the Hate Action Center, an online resource with even more instructional materials.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS NOW OPEN FOR REGISTRATION

Stop the Hate - East Coast: December 6 through 8, 2010 in Charlotte, North Carolina
Stop the Hate - West Coast: March 31 through April 2, 2010 in Napa, California

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE

If you are interested in bringing Stop the Hate to your campus, we offer two different ways to host a program. Learn more by visiting our website at www.stophate.org

The Gonzaga Institute for Action Against Hate (soon to change its name to Institute for Hate Studies) announces the availability of two $1000.00 grants to support graduate students and one $500.00 grant to support undergraduate students who are engaged in research or creative projects that address the issue of hate. Topics may include examining hate in any of its manifestations including but not limited to racism, misogyny, homophobia, anti-Semitism, ethnoviolence, and terrorism; methods of challenging hate; or how hate is maintained and perpetuated through culture, organizations, policies, politics, media, or discourse. Research from all disciplines is accepted and projects that examine hate from an interdisciplinary perspective are strongly encouraged. Projects may involve academic research or be approached through the media, fine arts, or performing arts.

Stop the Hate has opportunities available for students interested in pursuing this grant. Please contact Greg Miraglia, National Program Coordinator for Stop the Hate at greg@stophate.org or calling 707-253-3035.

The deadline is May 20th.

You can get more information at http://guweb2.gonzaga.edu/againsthate/ResearchAward.htm

Today the FBI released the 2008 hate crime statistics that reflect the number of hate crimes reported in 2008. These statistics only reflect those hate crimes reported by law enforcement agencies to the FBI. Since this reporting program is completely voluntary, there is no way to know how close the numbers are to the actual number of hate crimes that occurred during 2008. Be that as it may, the number of hate crimes reported to the FBI last year increased by 2%. Race was still the most common bias motivation, followed by religion and then sexual orientation. The home was the most common location for a hate crime to occur, followed by roadways and highways. School campuses remain the third most common place for a hate crime to occur.

In contrast, California saw a slight decrease in reported hate crimes (law enforcement agencies are required to report hate crimes to the California Department of Justice who is responsible for tracking hate crime trends). However, hate crimes committed against Jews increased 37% and hate crimes committed against homosexuals increased 16%.

Last month, President Obama signed into law an expansive federal hate crime bill that added sexual orientation, gender identity, and disabilities to the list of those identity groups protected by federal hate crime law. In addition, the law defines a hate crime as any crime of violence (not just those involving Constitutionally protected activities) motivated by the victim’s actual or perceived race, color, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, or disability. But will this bill, that took more than 12 years go get signed into law, really prevent hate crimes from happening? The answer is no.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Press Contact:
Campus Pride
Phone: 704-277-6710
Email: info@campuspride.org

(Charlotte, N.C. -- November 4, 2009) Stop the Hate, a national bias and hate crime prevention program for colleges and universities, announces the dates for its upcoming Stop The Hate Train The Trainer program. The three-day training will begin on Thursday, Dec. 3at 8:30 a.m. and will conclude on Saturday, Dec. 5 at 2:30 p.m., hosted on the campus of the University of North Carolina Charlotte in Charlotte, N.C. Registration is open until November 26, 2009 with early-bird special discounts at http://www.stophate.org/events.html

Bias incidents and hate crimes are a prevalent, growing issue at colleges and universities across the United States – even the Carolinas. The organization cites these select headlines from North Carolina and South Carolina over the last three years to name a few.

May 16, 2007: The death of Sean Kennedy, a gay young man, who was brutally killed outside a bar after being called “Faggot.”

November 5, 2008: The epitaphs scrawled on a tunnel wall on campus: "Let's shoot that (N-word) in the head," and "Hang Obama by a noose.”

September 14, 2009: A rock with a letter attached threatening a gay student with death threats saying “You don't deserve life like the rest of the world. It's bad enough without all the gay crap pulling people down. It's sick, unnatural and death is almost too good for you. Almost."

Stop the Hate will once again present our 3-day training for trainers program at two locations across the country. The east coast program will be held December 3 through 5, 2009 at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte, North Carolina. The west coast program will be held March 29 through 31, 2010 at the Criminal Justice Training Center at Napa Valley College. Both programs are now open for registration and offer discounts for those who register early. According to the 2007 hate crime statistics complied by the FBI, school campuses continue to be the third most common place for hate crimes to occur. The Stop the Hate program is a unique and intensive program designed specifically for school leaders, administrators, faculty, staff, and students to prevent hate crimes and bias incidents on college campuses. Participants learn how to conduct workshops designed to raise awareness about hate crimes and bias incidents and how to develop effective strategies to prevent such incidents from happening in the first place. Stop the Hate is proud to have as educational partners the Southern Poverty Law Center, Center for the Prevention of Hate Violence, Anti Defamation League, Matthew Shepard Foundation, Wilbron Institute, and the Napa Valley College Criminal Justice Training Center. To learn more about Stop the Hate or to find out more about how to bring a program to your campus, call Greg Miraglia, National Program Coordinator, at 707-333-8353, or visit our website at www.stophate.org

April 20th has become a date that means more than the simple fact that May 1 is only 10 days away. April 20th, also known as 420 has evolved into a symbol associated with hate. Each year, it marks the observance of such national tragedies as the school shooting at Columbine High School, the “Wacco Incident” and the bombing of the Federal Building in Oaklahoma City. The more recent school shooting at Virginia Tech happened within in just a few days of this notorious date and many white supremacists still celebrate Hitler’s birthday. It’s sad that so many anniversaries are amassing around this date.

But, this year, I’m proposing that we make April 20th national “Stop the Hate!” Day. It’s time to stop perpetuating hate and time to re-focus our attention to prevention efforts. What can you do this year to help? You can begin by knowing that a Bill to expand the Federal Hate Crimes Law to include sexual orientation and gender identity is expected to be introduced to Congress on April 20th. This Bill, know as the Matthew Shepard Act, will support local law enforcement and prosecutors across the country respond more effectively to acts of hate and violence. Call your local Congressperson and Senator and tell him or her that you support this Bill.