Opinion: How communities can fight back

against hate speech

By Christian Monitor's Editorial Board, adapted by Newsela staff on 05.09.17
Word Count 535
Level 820L

Fans give a standing ovation to Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones as he comes to bat during the first inning of a
baseball game on May 2, 2017, against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. AP Photo

Adam Jones was standing in the outfield when he heard baseball fans shouting racist remarks
at him.

Jones is a star player for the Baltimore Orioles baseball team. He is African-American. On
May 1, he was playing at Fenway Park in Boston when he heard the comments.

Red Sox officials quickly apologized. They promised to punish such fan behavior, and
Massachusetts lawmakers condemned the remarks. “We are better than this,” said Boston
Mayor Martin Walsh.

What’s the best way for a community to fight such hate speech?

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Crowd Shows Support With Round Of Applause

Jones was back in Fenway Park the next day to play another game. He came up to bat in the
first inning. At that moment, almost the entire stadium gave him a long round of applause and
cheers. Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale stepped aside to let the crowd continue its warm
response. One hot dog seller told fans, “Be nice to that guy, guys.”

Afterward Jones said he appreciated the love and support. He then added, “I don’t need all
that stuff. Just be normal.”

"Being normal" means respecting all people — whether they are a different race, religion, male
or female. To "be normal," communities must prevent hate speech.

Punishment of hate speech can help discourage such acts. But when a community comes
together to show support, it can have a lasting effect.

Group Support Trumps Hate

Another example of group support happened this past February in St. Louis. Gravestones in a
Jewish cemetery there were knocked over. Community leaders rushed to repair them.

Also that month, swastikas started to appear on windows of New York City trains. The
swastika has long been used as a symbol of white power. It was first widely used by the
German Nazi group, which killed millions of people during World War II. Passengers on the
train wiped away the Nazi symbols.

In Evanston, Illinois, hundreds of runners hold a “Race Against Hate" each year. The event
marks the 1999 death of an African-American basketball coach, Ricky Byrdsong. He was
killed by a white supremacist. White supremacists wrongly believe white people are better
than all other races and should rule other races.

Good Things Happen When People Rally Together

The "Race Against Hate" has inspired similar events. There was a recent teen basketball
game called “Hoops Against Hate” in Yonkers, New York.

In New York, a group called CONNECT was started. It provides training to help people know
what to do when they witness a hate incident in public. In South Dakota, a group of Christian,
Jewish and Muslim religious leaders is teaching communities to fight against hate. The
theme? “Love Thy Neighbor: No Exceptions.”

Communities who experience incidents of hate often come together, says Vanita Gupta. She
heads a group of leaders that fight for civil rights and equal treatment for all people.
Communities want to support each other and try to prevent hate events from happening in the
future, says Gupta. The way to fight prejudice and racism in America, she says, is through
education, awareness and appreciating differences between groups.

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And, she might have added, so is a round of applause for a ballplayer who just wants people
to be “normal.”

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Quiz

1 Which paragraph in the section "Good Things Happen When People Rally Together" offers an
explanation as to what often happens after a community experiences an incident of hate?

2 Based on the article, which answer choice BEST describes how CONNECT helps to combat
hatred?

(A) by educating people about white supremacist groups

(B) by bringing people of different religious groups together

(C) by hosting events that raise awareness about hate

(D) by teaching people what to do if they witness incidents of hate

3 Read the first paragraph from the section "Crowd Shows Support With Round Of Applause."

What is the MOST likely reason why the author included this paragraph?

(A) to show how the Red Sox pitcher is an understanding person

(B) to show how a community responded to an incident of hate

(C) to prove that the Red Sox fans were not really racist

(D) to prove that Adam Jones is actually a very popular player

4 In the section "Good Things Happen When People Rally Together," Vanita Gupta is introduced in
what way?

(A) through the sharing of her beliefs

(B) through a description of her experiences

(C) through an important personal story

(D) through an explanation of her job

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