FAIR News: Happy Thanksgiving!

The tide is turning: Americans want diversity without division.

Dear Friends of FAIR,

These days, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. From the crisis in Israel and the war in Ukraine to social turmoil in our own country, current events can often leave us dispirited and hopeless.

But today, I want to give you hope. Not just a dollop, but a healthy serving.

FAIR was born of a desire to empower Americans who recognize the urgent need to focus on what we have in common instead of what separates us; people who value diversity and inclusion, but not at the expense of unity and harmony. They come from all walks of life, and their beliefs aren’t bound by race, color, gender, or political persuasion.

This is the Silent and Exhausted Majority, and FAIR has worked tirelessly to give them a voice by:

• Providing parents and policymakers with literature guides, K-12 learning standards, and lesson plans to combat identity-based school curricula

• Training K-12 teachers in creating classroom environments that promote civil discourse, open inquiry, and viewpoint diversity

• Defending doctors who are threatened for raising concerns about patient safety, weakening medical education standards, and medical practices tainted by identity politics

• Supporting plaintiffs like Dr. Tabia Lee and Zack DePiero, who stand against racially hostile learning and work environments that teach students that white supremacy manifests in language and writing

For a long time, it’s felt like an uphill battle. But now it’s clear that more Americans are finally seeing what we in FAIR have been highlighting for the past two and a half years.

The tide is turning.

It began last month with a donor revolt at prestigious universities. When students at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania cheered the brutal murder of 1,200 Israelis following the Oct 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas, wealthy philanthropists decided to close their checkbooks. The disturbing events on campus were a wake-up call that America’s institutions of higher learning have been captured by an illiberal ideology that values social activism over the pursuit of truth. Instead of serving as bastions of neutrality, schools have become breeding grounds for extremism that subverts our common humanity and shared values.

This week, a California judge suspended rules on college campuses requiring faculty members to acknowledge the “intersectionality of social identities” and the “oppression that people from different racial, ethnic, and other minoritized groups face.” The court embraced a position that FAIR has long advocated: DEI initiatives are unconstitutional because they compel educators to adopt ideologies they don’t support, or risk losing their jobs.

That same day, the Wall Street Journal reported that investors pulled more than $14 billion from funds tied to environmental, social and corporate-governance (ESG) metrics because of “disappointing returns.” It turns out that politically motivated investments aren’t as “sustainable” as wealth managers were led to believe.

The next day, the Iowa Board of Regents rolled back DEI initiatives on college campuses and mandated that schools instead advance “diversity of intellectual and philosophical perspectives.”

Let’s be clear: this doesn’t mean the fight is over. The social contagion gripping our country has been spreading for decades, and we can’t expect to eradicate it overnight. We still have a lot more work to do.

But it does mean that more people are finding the courage to stand up—and increasingly, they’re reaching out to FAIR for help.

With your support, FAIR will ramp up its legal efforts to protect these brave Americans. Because it’s not always possible to change hearts and minds. As we learned during the Civil Rights movement, the legal “stick” is sometimes needed to effect the positive change people resist.

Members of the financial community have turned to FAIR for help resisting ESG initiatives that undermine the free market and create divisive workplace environments. With your support, we will soon launch FAIR in Finance to assist companies in implementing legal, non-discriminatory diversity and inclusion practices.

And, of course, FAIR will continue to educate, support, and empower the Silent and Exhausted Majority in all the other ways they’ve come to rely on us.

In an uncertain world, rest assured that we at FAIR will relentlessly pursue our mission to restore the values of fairness, understanding, and humanity that most Americans crave. The future is counting on us, and we are committed to protecting it. As we enter the giving season, please consider making a contribution to support our efforts.

All my best to you and your family for a very happy and relaxing Thanksgiving!

Warmly,

Monica Harris, Executive Director

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Freedom in the Arts: A Town Hall

Join FAIR in the Arts Sunday, November 26th at 2pm EST for a virtual town hall celebrating the launch of Freedom in the Arts, a new emergency project founded by FAIR Arts Fellow Rosie Kay and Denise Fahmy to tackle the culture of fear and intimidation facing artists. Moderated by FAIR in the Arts Director Brent Morden, we will speak with Rosie and Denise about their vision for FitA and the growing global movement of artists protecting artistic freedom. Come to connect with like-minded artists and participate in a community discussion around the future of the arts & culture.

How to Star-Man: Arguing from Compassion

Join Braver Angels on November 29th from 5:30-7pm ET for an in-person seminar about star-manning! In this three-part course, you'll develop tools for being mindful and measured in difficult conversations, and learn the key strategy for a more constructive engagement with your political or ideological opponents: An explicit recognition of not only our opponent’s arguments but their humanity. The seminar will be led by Angel Eduardo, Senior Writer & Editor for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and Chair of FAIR's Board of Directors.

Standing up for Freedom of Speech and TRUE Anti-Racism on Campus

Join FAIR Legal on December 5th at 6pm EST for the first of our live webinar series bringing you legal case updates! We will be joined by Dr. Tabia Lee and her counsel, FAIR network attorney Michael Allen, of Allen Harris, PLLC, who will offer greater insight into what Lee experienced at DeAnza College and the current status of her case.

When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents

Join FAIR in Medicine, as well as special guest moderator Leslie Elliott, with Sasha Ayad, Lisa Marchiano, and Stella O’Malley on Thursday, December 7th from 5-6:30pm ET for a discussion of their new book When Kids Say They’re Trans: A Guide for Thoughtful Parents. Hear about their experiences as professionals working in the field and their specific advice for parents with gender-questioning children who do not believe that hasty medical intervention is the best path forward. Don’t miss this special conversation!

Pro-Human School Board Leadership: I won my election! Now what?

Congratulations! You've successfully won election to represent your community, parents, students, teachers, and everyone who has a stake in your school district. Now the real work begins! Join FAIR in Education on Monday, December 4th at 7pm ET to learn how to hit the ground running and immediately make an impact as a Pro-Human school board leader. In this session, we will cover essential topics to help you onboard to your new role and build relationships to influence, drive change, and serve effectively.

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Antisemitism on Campus: Balancing Student Safety and Civil Liberties

Watch last week’s webinar featuring panelists Nadine Strossen, Jeffrey Lax, and Sahar Tartak. Moderated by FAIR Advisor Jonathan Kay.

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FAIR News Podcast

For audio versions of our FAIR News and FAIR Weekly Roundup newsletters, subscribe and listen to FAIR News Weekly on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or via RSS feed.

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FAIR Educators Alliance & Other Networks 

Connect with other pro-human educators through the FAIR Educators Alliance. We bring together educators from all levels to share experiences and work on developing resources that can support teachers, community members, and FAIR chapters.

Teachers, administrators, librarians, and educators of all kinds are welcome. For more information and to join any of these networks, please email educators@fairforall.org.

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Join the FAIR Community

Join us, and become a member of FAIR.

Become a FAIR volunteer, or join a FAIR chapter.

• Take the Pro-Human Pledge and help promote a common culture based on fairness, understanding, and humanity.

• Sign-up for a Welcome to FAIR Zoom information session to learn more about our mission.

• Share your reviews and incident reports on our FAIR Transparency website.

• View our FAIRstory Learning Standards.