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Preventing Hate Crimes and Hate/Bias Events at Texas A&M University

Too often, acts of hate and bias go unreported for a number of reasons ranging from a lack of trust to fear of reprisal. Some events, like racial epithets written on bathroom walls, are occasionally dismissed as “too trivial” to report. However, research suggests that these types of events tend to build into much bigger ones. Furthermore, they create a hostile, unsafe, and unwelcoming climate for the people they target and do damage to our community as a whole.

These events are highly significant. Those targeted cannot easily grow, flourish, or carry out everyday functions without difficulty, like walking to school or to their place of residence.

Hate is not an aggie value.

Addressing it is everyone’s responsibility.

How Can We Prevent Acts of Hate and Bias?

• Be mindful of your language; avoid stereotypical remarks and challenge those made by others.

• Speak out against jokes and slurs that target people or groups. Silence sends a message that you are in agreement. It is not enough to refuse to laugh.

• Be knowledgeable; provide as much accurate information as possible to reject harmful myths and stereotypes. Discuss with your family and friends the impact of prejudicial attitudes and behavior.

• Read and encourage others to read books that promote understanding of different cultures as well as those that are written by authors of diverse backgrounds.

• Initiate classroom discussions of terms such as anti-Semitism, racism, sexism, homophobia, and bias.

• Promote respectful conflict resolution.

• Make respect for diversity a core value in your organization.

• Provide ongoing awareness programs about the value of diversity.

• Create an environment conducive to the exploration of diversity.

• Participate in the many events at Texas A&M that support a wide range of diverse people and customs. By going out of your comfort zone, you will learn a lot about yourself and others.

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