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One Day Against Hate
ADL organizes social media campaign.
JACKIE HEADAPOHL MANAGING EDITOR
I
n 2017, the number of anti-Semitic
incidents in the U.S. rose 57 per-
cent, the largest year-over-year
increase on record since the ADL
started tracking such data in 1979.
The blame points in many direc-
tions. “No single group has the
monopoly on morality, from white
supremacists to the alt-right and the
radical left,” said Jonathan Greenblatt,
CEO and national director of the ADL,
who was in Detroit
earlier this month to
speak with commu-
nity leaders.
To turn the tide
on hate and big-
otry, the ADL is
launching “One
Day Against Hate,”
Jonathan
on Monday, Oct.
Greenblatt
1, when people
throughout the
country will come together to start
conversations of understanding.
In Metro Detroit, the regional ADL
office is enlisting the help of school
and religious organizations in a social
media campaign. “Our goal is to have
them take photos of their event and
post them on our social media page
using the hashtag #WeAreOneday,”
said Kristin Jager, education director
for ADL’s Michigan Region.
The goal is 1 million conversations,
Greenblatt said. He explained how
after the violence at the “Unite The
Right” rally in Charlottesville, Va., in
August 2017, many mayors came to
the ADL asking how they could pre-
vent violence from happening in their
cities.
As a result, the ADL partnered with
the U.S. Conference of Mayors to cre-
ate the Mayor’s Compact to Combat
Hate, Extremism and Bigotry, which
vows to “reject extremism, white
supremacy and all forms of bigotry,
and to ensure public safety while pro-
tecting free speech.” More than 240
mayors have signed on to the effort.
This partnership is but one example
Greenblatt gave on how the ADL is
working to expand its reach through
partnering with other organizations
One Day
Against Hate.
Here’s How
It Works:
and minority communities on such
issues as fighting against the Muslim
ban and the separation of families on
the U.S. Southern border.
Greenblatt added that hate spreads
quickly on social media. The ADL
is working with tech companies to
develop techniques to counter online
hate.
George Selim, senior vice president,
programs, is leading that charge.
Selim, who’s been
at ADL for about a
year, comes from the
White House and
the Department of
Homeland Security,
where he worked to
combat extremism.
“Fighting for civil
George Selim
liberties has been
the theme of my life,”
he said. “At ADL, we are fierce protec-
tors of the First Amendment; however,
there is a line that cannot be crossed
— and that line is incitement to
violence in public. Social media plat-
forms don’t want to espouse bigotry.
We are working with them on ways to
enforce their terms of service.”
Greenblatt said that much in today’s
political environment, including the
rise of nationalism and populism,
seems abnormal. “It’s as if the world
has turned upside down,” he said.
“But seeing institutions and everyday
citizens mobilize to combat hate
and extremism is encouraging to me.
Things are only going to change if we
change them.”
In 2015, the national ADL took
stock of how it was allocating its
resources and changed from a top-
down to a bottom-up approach. “ADL’s
strength is in its local offices, and the
national office acts as a community
support center when it comes to
deploying our resources,” Greenblatt
said. “Our focus is how we can provide
the best support to the regions.”
Carolyn Normandin, director of
the ADL Michigan office, said she
appreciates the national support her
office receives. “I feel empowered,”
she said. •
SALLY’S
D E S I G N
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B O U T I Q U E
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1. Pledge: Add your name and say,
“I pledge to be a part of One Day Against Hate.”
2. Converse: Start a conversation of
understanding on Oct. 1.
3. Share: Tell the nation you’re a part of the
movement by posting on social media and using the
hashtag #WeAreOneday.
For conversation starters and other ideas, visit
https://weareoneday.org.
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September 27 • 2018
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