Thurmond Hosts Roundtable on the Role of Education in Countering Racism and Hate Speech
Sacramento, CA – This morning Assemblymember Tony Thurmond held a special roundtable discussion about the role of education in teaching tolerance during critical moments of rising racism and acts of hate. This discussion provided an opportunity to develop strategies for addressing acts of hate from an educational point of view.
“Recent hate rallies by white supremacists groups are an indication that our communities need to learn to accept our cultural differences,” said Thurmond. “We must use education as a tool against racism and hate speech. The open dialogue this morning between education leaders and social justice groups was a critical step towards best practices for teaching tolerance in our schools.”
Charlottesville provides a painful reminder that we must continually address hate and racism and that education can be one of the most powerful tools for teaching tolerance to our students. Even before these events occurred there had been a nationwide increase in hate crimes and hate speech on and around campuses.
This will be the first of many conversations that will serve as dialogue with the potential for future discussions on a regional basis. The focus was on identifying how racism shows up in school (hate acts, hate speech, etc.), the role that education can play in addressing racism, and the resources educators require. Education leaders shared their best practices, questions, and needs.
The Teaching Tolerance Roundtable featured Assemblymember Thurmond; State Superintendent of Public Instruction, Tom Torlakson; local education administrators; teachers; and social justice advocacy groups.
RELEASE CONTACT: Ayodeji Taylor (916) 319-2015
Assemblymember Tony Thurmond represents the 15th Assembly District, comprised of the cities of Albany, Berkeley, El Cerrito, El Sobrante, Emeryville, Hercules, Kensington, Piedmont, Pinole, Richmond, San Pablo, Tara Hills, and a portion of Oakland.