Step One – Discovery: Go to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s hate map and find a hate group close to you
or one that is the closest to where you grew up or have lived for a significant part of your life. Spend time
reading and learning about the group or groups you find in your own backyard.
This photo provided April 15, 2011, by the Juneau County sheriff’s office shows one of two swastikas found
spray-painted Wednesday on a sign at the Native American Church in Wisconsin Dells, Wis. Juneau County
Sheriff Brent Oleson said they are investigating the vandalism as a hate crime. (AP Photo/Juneau County
Sheriff’s Department)
Step Two – Description: In your first discussion post, describe the values and acts of discrimination of the hate
group or hate groups that you learned are nearest you now or where you grew up or once lived. Did you know
these local groups existed so near you before visiting the map? Were you surprised?
Step Three – Reflection: After you describe the hate group that is in your region, reflect upon how hate groups
in our communities relates to our readings and videos in this module. Are these hate groups exercising free
speech or engaging in acts that constitute crimes (crimes suggest social problems, not social issues)? Can we
/ do we as a society address these hate groups as a social problem? How so? If not, what can we do to act on
this social problem?
Step Four – Discussion: Finally, what did you learn about racism, ethnic, and religious discrimination regarding
hate groups in your community and the communities of your classmates?
Sample Solution
