Inflammatory notes. Hateful symbols and flyers. A racially motivated potential threat to campus safety. In recent years, UNLV has grappled with them all. 

Across the nation, matters of race and racism have dominated headlines with white nationalism, white supremacy, anti-Semitism, and political extremism on the rise. Then 2020 happened, replete with its cascading crises – from the coronavirus pandemic and health disparities to protests, riots, and cries for social justice and policing reform following the police-involved deaths of George Floyd and other unarmed Black Americans.

UNLV will confront these and other pressing issues in a four-part series of community conversations designed to unpack hate and its manifestations in various contexts. 

“Hate Uncycled: What’s on your mind?” will feature campus and community experts and tackle a range of topics, including the effects of racism on public health; indigenous and land justice; and the First Amendment and policing. The programs will also highlight ways UNLV students, faculty, staff and alumni have worked to mitigate these issues in the community. The conversations, beginning at 1 p.m. Feb. 3, will stream live on YouTube and be recorded for viewing later. 
    
Positive change may be slow to materialize, but it’s still possible through education and decisive action, said Roberta Sabbath, lead organizer of the series.

“Cynicism is the enemy of social change,” said Sabbath, religious studies coordinator for campus and community partnerships, and visiting assistant professor of English.

“We can make a change if we work together. Through these sessions, we plan to listen, build allies and network, and recognize opportunities to help, serve, and continue to develop the good work being done.”

Sabbath and program partners initiated the series in spring 2020 with a small “Hate/Uncycled” program centered on deconstructing hate, its origins, and how it manifests in different forms, especially on college campuses. 

“Hate/Uncycled” is the Anti-Defamation League’s model for responding to hate and bias incidents by introducing a new cycle of education and prevention. The program helps prepare campus stakeholders to become leaders in challenging bias, working toward inclusion, and instilling policies and practices for equity. 

Organizers hosted only one program of a planned three-part series before UNLV transitioned to remote teaching and learning due to coronavirus restrictions last year. Offerings have been revamped and expanded, and organizers say the programming is even more urgent in light of recent events, including the violent siege of the U.S. Capitol Jan. 6.

Understanding hate is more relevant than ever, said Chris Heavey, executive vice president and provost. 

“Our work as educators is building a better world by promoting understanding, knowledge, and civil society. Hate, as we see all around us, is a corrosive force that drives people apart and undermines the ability of people to work together constructively,” he said. “These discussions will help us look at the origins and impacts of hate and help us begin to unwind it so we can create a more just and inclusive world.”

The series also underscores other university efforts to address structural inequities and better serve students and faculty of color at UNLV such as the Anti-Black Racism and Minority Serving Institutions task forces, said Heavey, whose office is a co-sponsor of the series. 

Other co-sponsors are: the College of Liberal Arts and the offices of diversity initiatives and student diversity and social justice in partnership with the Anti-Defamation League and the Interfaith Council of Southern Nevada.