National Campaign for Tolerance
 The
National Campaign for Tolerance is co-chaired by Rosa Parks and Morris
Dees, pictured at right. Its goal is to enlist five million people to participate in
tolerance initiatives and related activities in their local communities.
Said
Dees, "Rosa Parks was alone when she refused to give up her bus seat
to a white man in Montgomery back in 1955. Her solitary act of courage
launched the Civil Rights Movement. Now she is taking another stand that
could change our nation for the better - but this time she is not
alone."
The
National Campaign for Tolerance will not be a short-term initiative, said
Center president Joseph J. Levin Jr.
“Rather, it will be a quiet, slow-building effort that we hope
will gain momentum and influence as it evolves.”
Although there is no fixed time limit on the Campaign, Center
officials hope it will peak on December 1, 2005, the 50th
anniversary of Mrs. Parks’ refusal to give up her bus seat - the spark
that set off the modern-day Civil Rights Movement.
“We
honored Mrs. Parks’ role in the Movement when we dedicated the Civil
Rights Memorial in 1989,” Levin said.
“At the same time, we emphasized that it was the courage of
ordinary people that made the movement a success.
Now the Campaign — with Mrs. Parks again as the spark — offers
millions of Americans the opportunity to actively participate in the
nation’s struggle against hate and racism.”
One
of the first efforts of the Campaign will be the production and
distribution of a powerful new video-and-text education kit entitled The Rosa Parks Story. Told
in her own words, the film will be designed to inspire young children to
believe in the power they, as individuals, have to make a difference in
our society. Producing the
film will be Sam Pollard of New York, an award-winning filmmaker who has
worked with noted director Spike Lee for years and co-produced Four Little Girls with him.
In April, Pollard visited Montgomery to meet with Center staff and
personally interview friends of Mrs. Parks and others who participated in
the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The
Center plans to send The Rosa Parks Story free to 50,000 elementary
schools in early 2001.
The
Center will send individuals who sign on to the Campaign a Citizens Action
Kit containing the Center’s newest publications, 101 Tools for Tolerance, along with the popular Ten
Ways to fight Hate. Also
included in the Citizen’s Action Kit is a Declaration of Tolerance,
which individuals can sign as their commitment to taking positive actions.
“Tolerance
is a personal decision that comes from a belief that every person is a
treasure,” reads the declaration’s pledge.
“I believe that America’s diversity is a source of strength.
But I also recognize that ignorance, insensitivity and bigotry can
turn that diversity into a source of deep divisions.
To help keep diversity a wellspring of strength and make America a
better place for all, I pledge to have respect for people whose abilities,
beliefs, culture, race, sexual identity or other characteristics are
different from my own.”
To
fulfill the pledge, the signer promises to:
-
Examine
his or her own biases and work to overcome them
-
Set
a positive example for family and friends
-
Work
for tolerance in his or her own community
-
Speak
out against hate and injustice
Other
plans for the Campaign include creation of a Wall of Tolerance - to be
located near the historic Civil Rights Memorial - just a few blocks from
where Mrs. Parks boarded that fateful bus, as well as the development of a
website [www.tolerance.org] to
serve as a national resource of helpful information for individuals,
schools, religious and civic groups, businesses and others.
There
is no better time than at the start of a new century for each of us to do
our part. Together we can help our nation live as a more just and
accepting society.
To
sign up for the Campaign, write to
National
Campaign for Tolerance
Southern Poverty Law Center
400 Washington Ave
Montgomery, Alabama 36104
Or
contact nct@splcenter.org.
Summit your suggestions for tools to fight tolerance to campaign@tolerance.org.
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