When a hate crime occurs in the community or a hate organization schedules an activity there, educators should look for ways to denounce the crime and discuss the event with students. Similarly, hate incidents that are widely reported in regional or national media call for a response at school. Students may be frightened by what has happened or what may yet happen. Discussions give them a chance to get facts and also consider ways they and their families can respond to the events.

The following steps can help educators take a stand against hate crimes that occur in the larger community as well as in their school:

• Take time to reflect. Ask that teachers of one subject, perhaps social studies or English, take some class time to discuss highly publicized hate incidents in the community or nation. Make sure that teachers are well-informed prior to the discussion. Ask what students think should be done. Encourage them to send letters with their suggestions to the editor of the local paper.

• Speak publicly against injustice. Ask students and teachers to prepare comments for use in public address announcements, classroom television broadcasts or written notices. For example: "Most of you have probably heard of the beating and murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming. His death reinforces the reason that we have a school policy of respect for all people, and the reason we all need to speak up when we hear someone say hateful things about people whose sexual orientation, race, country of origin, religion, gender or physical or mental abilities are different from his or her own. Let's use this terrible incident to remind ourselves to show respect to everyone around us and to speak up when others don't."

• Create a game plan. When local events, such as Klan marches, that raise fears among many people are scheduled in the community, take time to discuss the best community responses. Ask police to notify the school if a hate organization schedules an event. If that happens, invite community leaders concerned about justice issues to talk to students about the group's history, answer questions, and offer their suggestions for responding to the rally. Tape the session for future use. Ten Ways to Fight Hate offers consideration of these issues, along with other possible community responses.

• Participate in healing. Encourage students of all ages to extend support to local or national victims of hate crime or their families. Letters, which can be saved and reread, offer an excellent way of doing that. If no address is available, send them to the family in care of the local newspaper or police.