Stand Up to Hate: A Mission for Wisconsin

Stories to start conversations in your community or classroom!

Healthy communities are safe for everyone.Wisconsin Humanities believes that storytelling and history have the power to help people better understand and get to know their neighbors. We know that authentic human connections make communities safer and more resilient. 

Stand Up to Hate is a program for students and citizens who want their communities to be great places to live.  It helps participants think about how their community might prevent hate and hate crimes by learning about real stories of hate, violence, and resilience from different communities across Wisconsin, from Milwaukee to Meteor and from the 1860s to today. The stories address the legal categories of hate crimes defined by the U.S. Department of Justice.

This free resource offers guides on how to incorporate these stories into high school classrooms and use them to start community conversations. Stand Up to Hate resources include: 

• A packet including eight stories of hate, violence, and resilience experienced from communities across Wisconsin that illustrate the legal definition of a hate crime
• An introduction to hate crimes generally and in Wisconsin
• Supporting materials for how to teach or discuss the stories, including discussion questions for each
• A model lesson plan and several class activities for a high school classroom
• A suggested plan for a community conversation around the stories
• A series of printable posters that communities and schools may use to share these stories across Wisconsin