Brookfielders will soon have the chance to view a free exhibit about how to use their critical thinking skills to decode and reject hateful messages online.
The Mobile Museum of Tolerance will come to the Linda Sokol Francis Brookfield Library Oct. 13 to 16. From the library’s opening hour — 11 a.m. on Sundays and 10 a.m. otherwise — through 6 p.m., the educational workshop, “Combat Hate,” will be available in the parking lot for people of all ages to participate and learn to investigate harmful or dangerous media, stand up against hatred online and work on strategies for spreading more positivity across their social media presence.
Participants will use the museum’s 32-seat bus as a “self-contained classroom” to explore immersive technology and create dialogue facilitated by a licensed state educator in an age-appropriate manner. While the workshop is open to all, the museum’s website suggests this year’s exhibit is best for children in seventh grade and up.
“At a time when hateful speech and images are on the rise nationally, this is a unique opportunity for students and community members to learn about the real-world consequences of online hate,” said Courtney McInerney, the library’s community engagement coordinator, in a written statement.
According to its website, the Mobile Museum of Tolerance is the first free, traveling education center in the United States. Launched in Illinois, the museum is based on the Los Angeles-based Museum of Tolerance. Both museums are initiatives run by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a global Jewish human rights activism organization that focuses on “confront[ing]” anti-Semitism and hate with offices across the country and world.
Aside from online hate, the museum also offers workshops on the American civil rights movement, the Holocaust and life of Anne Frank and the “power of ordinary people” as framed by the Holocaust. A new workshop this year focuses on media literacy and helping students differentiate between facts, opinions and propaganda they may find online.
