Teaching Black, Brown, and other marginalized youth not to hate is complex, particularly when public figures exhibit divisive rhetoric that feels aimed at diminishing their identity, worth, or safety.
Here are some essential principles we can consider in guiding young minds to resilience, empathy, and strength rather than hate, even when they face hate:
Teach Historical Context with Honesty and Compassion: History has shown us that moments of division and oppression often give rise to powerful movements for justice. By teaching youth about their heritage, struggles, and the resilience of those who came before them, we can ground their understanding in a broader context. They learn that people have faced similar challenges, and in response, built communities of solidarity, resistance, and pride. This context helps them see that hate and oppression do not define them.
For Latino Youth: Acknowledge the history of Latin American countries, U.S. interventions, and migration stories, emphasizing resilience and the strength of their communities in facing economic and political challenges. Introduce figures like Dolores Huerta and César Chávez, who fought for the rights of farmworkers and Latino communities, showing how past struggles paved the way for rights and recognition today.
For Black Youth: Teach about the Civil Rights Movement, the Harlem Renaissance, and African civilizations pre-slavery. Highlight figures like Rosa Parks, Malcolm X, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who fought for Black rights and dignity. Help them understand that their community has a legacy of resisting oppression and building thriving communities despite challenges.
Emphasize the Strength in Unity and Community Action: Encourage young people to see that community and collective action—fighting for social justice, voting, educating, creating art, and leading—are powerful responses to hateful rhetoric. When young people feel connected to each other and their community, they become empowered to create positive change rather than feel powerless in the face of hate.
For Latino Youth: Organize community service days with local Latino organizations or cultural centers. Show how, together, they can support their neighborhood by participating in food drives, voter registration events, or cultural celebrations, reinforcing that collective action strengthens their community.
For Black Youth: Encourage participation in local NAACP events or community programs like after-school mentoring. Show them that through unity and action, such as attending protests, supporting Black-owned businesses, or mentoring younger kids, they can create lasting change in their communities.
Model and Teach Critical Thinking: Encourage youth to question what they hear and to examine why certain people might spread messages of hate. Teaching them critical thinking skills helps them see that those who incite hate often do so to maintain power, deflect from personal shortcomings, or exploit societal divisions. Understanding this can help youth disassociate from the hate, recognizing it as a manipulative tactic rather than a reflection of their own worth or community.
For Latino Youth: Discuss stereotypes often portrayed in media about Latinos. Have discussions about how media portrayal can affect public opinion and self-esteem. Teach them to question these portrayals and look to real, multidimensional representations in writers and creators within their community, such as Sandra Cisneros or Lin-Manuel Miranda.
For Black Youth: Examine common misrepresentations of Black people in the news or entertainment. Help them analyze how negative portrayals have historically been used to justify unjust policies or attitudes. Introduce them to counter-narratives in Black-owned media, such as Ebony or The Root, that present positive and accurate representations of Black lives and issues.
Focus on Role Models Who Embody Compassion and Justice: There are countless figures throughout history and in today’s world—both famous and within their own communities—who represent love, justice, and integrity. Encouraging youth to look up to leaders who embody positive values helps them see alternatives to hate. Highlighting these role models provides aspirational examples and fosters hope that change is possible.
For Latino Youth: Highlight people like Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina Supreme Court Justice, who broke barriers through her perseverance and dedication to justice. Let them see that role models in law, arts, or activism who reflect their heritage can inspire them to make a positive impact.
For Black Youth: Highlight figures like John Lewis, who advocated for equality with compassion and resilience. Role models who pursued justice without bitterness, like Maya Angelou or Bryan Stevenson, show how it’s possible to stand firm against oppression with dignity and love.
Cultivate Inner Strength and Self-Worth: Hate often seeks to undermine self-worth. Teaching young people to see themselves as valuable, worthy, and loved—regardless of outside rhetoric—builds a strong foundation for resisting negative messages. When youth believe in their own worth, they are less likely to internalize hate or to respond with hate.
For Latino Youth: Encourage Latino youth to embrace their cultural traditions and language with pride, perhaps through activities like celebrating Día de los Muertos or learning about Latin music and dance. Reinforce that their heritage and background contribute to who they are and are valuable, no matter what messages society might send.
For Black Youth: Help Black youth embrace their natural beauty, heritage, and achievements, encouraging pride in their identity and culture. This could be through engaging with African American literature, celebrating their heritage in Black History Month, or discussing historical figures who represent strength and resilience.
Empathy as an Antidote to Hate: Hate is often met with more hate, creating a cycle. Teaching young people to respond with empathy, even toward those who might seek to harm them, can be transformative. This doesn’t mean tolerating hate or abuse but rather understanding that responding in kind may only add fuel to the fire. Learning to respond with understanding and assertiveness rather than bitterness can empower youth to break cycles of animosity.
For Latino Youth: Encourage understanding even for those who may not seem to support them. For instance, teach empathy toward people who may not understand their immigrant background, helping them see that misunderstanding often comes from ignorance rather than malice. Sharing their story can sometimes create bridges.
For Black Youth: When dealing with racism or microaggressions, help Black youth understand that responding with empathy can disarm anger and open others to listening. For example, instead of returning hostility, they might calmly explain how certain words or actions make them feel, sometimes sparking change.
Provide Spaces to Process Emotions Healthily: Children and teens need safe spaces to express and process their anger, sadness, frustration, and confusion about societal messages that seem against them. Through conversations, art, writing, or simply talking with mentors, they can release these emotions without turning them inward as hate or outward toward others. Emotions are valid and need expression; hate only emerges when they are suppressed or directed negatively.
For Latino Youth: Engage Latino youth in storytelling, art, or spoken word workshops where they can express pride, pain, and hope related to their experiences. Having spaces in schools or community centers for cultural expression allows them to process emotions healthily, turning potential anger into creativity and connection.
For Black Youth: Provide access to Black-centered youth groups or healing circles, where they can openly discuss their experiences with systemic racism or personal struggles. Spaces like these, perhaps guided by Black counselors or mentors, give them room to process anger or pain safely and turn it into resilience.
Empowerment through Civic Engagement: Show young people how to use their voices constructively—whether through voting, advocacy, or joining causes they care about. By showing them that they have agency, they understand that they are part of a larger movement toward justice, and they do not need to resort to hate to be heard.
For Latino Youth: Encourage them to engage in organizations advocating for Latino rights, such as UnidosUS or local immigration support groups. They can participate in workshops about voting, community organizing, or the importance of representation, helping them feel like active agents in their future and their community’s well-being.
For Black Youth: Encourage participation in movements like Black Lives Matter or local initiatives focusing on social justice, such as working with NAACP Youth Councils or community boards. Civic involvement empowers them to use their voices meaningfully, showing that their advocacy can be a response to, rather than fueled by, hatred.
Young people of color today are navigating a world filled with complex emotions—hurt, anger, and frustration in response to the injustices they see and feel. Acknowledging these feelings is essential, but so is guiding them toward constructive responses that affirm their strength and humanity. They need to know that, while it is natural to feel deeply, hatred cannot dismantle the systems that have been built over generations. Instead, true change emerges through resilience, unity, and empowered action.
In a world that often sends them mixed messages, young people need compassionate adults—leaders, teachers, and mentors—who model justice and resilience. These role models can demonstrate that real power lies not in retaliating with hate but in lifting oneself and one’s community toward love, pride, and purpose. By embracing their unique identities and communities, they can respond to divisive rhetoric with an unbreakable strength. This approach to self-worth and empowerment can build a future where they are agents of change, rooted in love and resilience rather than despair.
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