FAIR News: A Fact-Based History of Slavery
FAIR News: A Fact-Based History of Slavery
November 18th, 2021
FAIRstory Video Series: The History of Slavery
The FAIRstory Curriculum is a fact-based approach to teaching students about racism that exposes students to the histories, experiences, struggles, accomplishments, and contributions from Americans of diverse backgrounds.
This week, our 3-part “History of Slavery” video series is now available to watch on YouTube. The first video covers the deeply immoral practice of slavery as it occurred throughout history all over the world, while the final two focus specifically on slavery in the United States and its eventual abolition.
Video 1: The Blight of Slavery Throughout History
Video 2: Slavery in the United States
Video 3: The End of Slavery
TOMORROW: Live In-Person Steven Pinker Book Event
FAIR is thrilled to present a live in-person book event with FAIR Advisor Steven Pinker. FAIR Advisor Melissa Chen will be talking with Professor Pinker about his new book—Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters—and exploring progress, reason, and scientific understanding in the 21st century.
The event will take place TOMORROW, November 19th, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm EST at the Italo American Educational Club, 75 Pleasant Street, Wellesley, MA.
There are only 150 spots available, and the first 50 registrants will be given a free copy of Pinker’s new book Rationality.
Register for the live event here.
FAIR News Weekly Podcast
Are you short on time and want a way to consume our FAIR News newsletter and FAIR Weekly Roundup content on the go? Well you’re in luck, because we have just launched our new podcast FAIR News Weekly!
FAIR News Weekly is the audio version of our regular FAIR News newsletter and FAIR Weekly Roundup. Episodes run approximately 15 minutes long, and will bring you up-to-date on the latest FAIR-related news and events, as well as provide summaries of select articles written by FAIR Advisors and other leading voices in the pro-human movement.
Listen and subscribe to FAIR News Weekly here.
Call for Submissions
In case you missed it, FAIR Advisor Wilfred Reilly published a wonderful essay on our Fair for All Substack about affirmative action inspired by a (now deleted) tweet by Ibram X. Kendi commenting on white students lying about their race on college admissions forms.
Reilly’s essay is a great example of the kind of content we love bringing to our readers. But we would also love to publish content from you—the parent, employee, or student.
If you would like to submit your writing to our Substack, please check out our submission guidelines at the bottom of our “About” page here.
We hope to hear from you!
"Be Skeptical" with FAIR Advisor Michael Shermer
This week, FAIR Advisor Michael Shermer expertly walks us through several foundational principles of skepticism that we should all use when evaluating any claim. For instance, our starting assumption should always be that a claim is not true unless demonstrated otherwise, and the burden of proof rests solely on the person making the claim, not on the skeptic.
Shermer explains that “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence,” and calls on all of us to “be a little more skeptical” about many extraordinary claims currently being made in the name of “Social Justice.”
Pursuing social justice is a clear good, but for the same reason we needed skepticism toward once-dominant ideas like that the sun revolves around the Earth, or that the Universe began 6,000 years ago, or that disease is caused by “miasma” in order to arrive at more accurate and more useful ways of seeing the world, if we want to do social justice right, skepticism toward extraordinary claims being made in the name of social justice must be a core part of our toolkit.
Watch the full video on our YouTube channel here, and don’t forget to subscribe and like our videos to help spread the word!
Skateboarding and Critical Race Theory
In a new video, artist and writer Kimi Katiti tells us her story about what skateboarding taught her about Critical Race Theory (CRT). Given the underrepresentation of dark-skinned people in skateboarding, CRT taught her to view skate parks cynically as hostile and unwelcoming places for people like her.
However, when she actually started visiting skate parks, she quickly discovered that reality bore no resemblance to the dangerous environment that CRT taught her to expect.
I first went into Lake Street and Cherry Park skate parks braced for microaggressions and an assertion of dominance by people who didn’t look like me. But to my surprise, I was met with an extension of kindness and courteousness by the people who weren’t supposed to possess either of those qualities.
Watch the full video here.
Daryl Davis Introduces FAIR Diversity
FAIR Diversity is our pro-human approach to diversity, equity, and inclusion training based on over 20 years of empirical research.
Rather than building social identities around our differences and immutable characteristics, FAIR Diversity trainings focus on shared identity, common ground, and our similarities to foster greater peace, communication, and relationships. Our training teaches us how to honor unique cultural and social identities while keeping our common humanity at the forefront.
In our latest video, FAIR Advisor Daryl Davis outlines the core principles of our FAIR Diversity training program.
If you would like to bring pro-human diversity training to your organization, school, or workplace, visit FAIRdiversity.org.
Classrooms, Curricula, and the Law
Last week Letitia Kim, head of the FAIR Legal Network, participated on a panel titled “Classrooms, Curricula, and the Law" at the Federalist Society’s 2021 National Lawyers Convention in Washington DC.
The panel discussed the wisdom and constitutionality of laws banning “divisive concepts” from being taught in classrooms, and the legal remedies available if and when those concepts are implemented and/or compelled in public and private schools.
TOMORROW: Live In-Person Steven Pinker Book Event
FAIR is thrilled to present a live in-person book event with FAIR Advisor Steven Pinker. FAIR Advisor Melissa Chen will be talking with Professor Pinker about his new book—Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters—and exploring progress, reason, and scientific understanding in the 21st century.
The event will take place on TOMORROW, November 19th, from 7:00 to 9:00pm EST at the Italo American Educational Club, 75 Pleasant Street, Wellesley, MA.
There are only 150 spots available, and the first 50 registrants will be given a free copy of Pinker’s new book Rationality.
Register for the live event here.
NEW: FAIR Illinois Holiday Party and Book Signing with Dr. Jason Hill
Join FAIR Illinois for a holiday party and book signing with FAIR Advisor and DePaul University Professor Dr. Jason Hill to celebrate his new book What Do White Americans Owe Black People? Racial Justice in the Age of Post-Oppression.
Ted Dabrowski from New Trier Neighbors and Wirepoints will lead a wide ranging conversation and Q&A with Dr. Hill about his new book and today's cultural issues.
COVID restrictions: Masks are required at Writer's Theatre unless eating and drinking. Space is limited, so please register here.
Questions? Contact Carrie Mendoza at carrie.mendoza@fairforall.org
FAIR Educator Alliance
Teachers often feel isolated and alone in their schools, but FAIR is here for you! We will be holding weekly informal “happy hours” to share experiences and concerns and work on developing resources just for teachers. We’ll also be holding more formal monthly meetings to address issues based on your needs and interests.
For more information, contact Brian Kors at brian.kors@fairforall.org
Grassroots Training Workshops
Are you ready to be an effective advocate for pro-human values in your community? You know in your heart of hearts our common culture of fairness, understanding, and humanity requires you to be civically engaged and actively organizing and advocating in your community.
But how do you get started?
We’ve got you covered with the FAIR Grassroots Leader Training series.
Register now to learn practical tools for organizing your community, how to be a more effective advocate, and ways to create positive, bottom-up change in our culture and country. The sessions include:
Grassroots Leader Session 1 | Bottom-Up Organizing
Grassroots Leader Session 2 | Finding Your Place At FAIR
Grassroots Leader Session 3 | Organizing Your Organizing
Public Speaking Training | Keeping Your Audience Captivated
Register now for the next Grassroots Leader Training series.
Join the FAIR Community
Click here to become a FAIR volunteer or to join a FAIR chapter:
Join a Welcome to FAIR Zoom information session to learn more about our mission by clicking here. Or, to watch a previously recorded session click here to visit the Member section of www.fairforall.org.
Sign the FAIR Pledge for a common culture of fairness, understanding and humanity.
Join the FAIR community to connect and share information with other members.
Share your reviews and incident reports on our FAIR Transparency website.