Hopewatch
Hopewatch amplifies the unwavering commitment of people who tirelessly advocate for racial and social justice.
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
- Hopewatch
My Legacy: Balancing Native American Heritage Month, voting and Thanksgiving
Writing anything for Native American Heritage Month is complicated. My identity is at the heart of this blog post, and that is complicated. I am a settler and Indigenous. Should I choose, I could enroll in the Daughters of the American Revolution for an ancestor many generations removed. Yet, I can’t enroll in the Ponca…
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- Hopewatch
- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
On Election Day, cast a ballot with confidence, because we’ve got your back
Every election season, we witness the legacy of the Civil Rights Movement playing out in real time. From Jackson, Mississippi, to Selma, Alabama, to Atlanta, voters will make their voices heard across the Deep South on Election Day. In so many of our states, the right to vote continues to be a vital tool for…
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- Hopewatch
- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Beyond the Ballot Box: Reigniting the desire for change and accountability
As a community organizer for the Southern Poverty Law Center in Louisiana, seeing the decline in civic participation has been both upsetting and alarming to me. When we noticed that many Black voters in the state are registered, but aren’t showing up to vote, we quickly realized we had to step in to remind people…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
- Hopewatch
10 ways to respond when a hate crime or incident occurs in your community
When hate crimes or hate incidents occur, everyone has a stake in ensuring an effective response. Individuals and communities must be prepared. For example, the most recent FBI hate crime report documented record-high levels of hate violence in the U.S. But how should you and your community respond? With October designated by the Southern Poverty…
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- Ending Unjust Imprisonment
National Youth Justice Action Month: A call for change in the South and beyond
The South has always been different. Whether it’s the flavor of New Orleans Cajun cuisine, the way Spanish moss sways in the breeze across Florida palms, or the feeling of an HBCU homecoming in Atlanta, the South will always have a special way of doing things. It’s been said, “As the South goes, so goes…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
Long forgotten: Election after election, campaigns fail to pursue the Latinx vote
As we celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, everyone is stating that the Latinx vote is critical to winning the presidential election. However, I have heard this for the past several elections. It’s nothing new. Throughout National Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15, I have reflected on this. Everyone wants Latinx…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day by diving into these book recommendations
Have you noticed that your shelves are lacking books about Indigenous people? In honor of Indigenous Peoples Day on Oct. 14, here are a few books to help you learn about Indigenous lives and culture. An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States By Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz’s nonfiction book challenges the founding myth of…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
The FBI’s hate crime statistics are essential, but the flaws must be fixed
Last month, the FBI released the 2023 report of hate crime statistics, providing a flawed but important snapshot of hate violence in the U.S. Under the Hate Crime Statistics Act of 1990, the FBI is required to compile hate crime data from more than 18,000 federal, state, university, city and tribal law enforcement authorities and…
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- Strengthening Democracy & Voting Rights
ACLU and SPLC launch ‘I Got 5 On It’ campaign to register and encourage voters
“I Got 5 On It” is a get-out-the-vote campaign from the ACLU of Georgia and the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Georgia state office for the 2024 election season. The goal of the campaign is simple: Make sure as many people as possible show up to vote during early voting and on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov.…
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- Dismantling White Supremacy
Banned Books Week offers lesson on how literature grows understanding, diversity
Literature can be transformative in helping us learn about the world and see ourselves as part of the shared human experience. The intensification of book bans and challenges – both in schools and public libraries – threatens our democracy by limiting learning about diverse experiences. Being able to read stories where we see ourselves reflected,…
