ADL HOSTS 3rd Annual Youth Leadership Conference: Exploring Diversity, Challenging Hate

Date: November 10, 2009

The Philadelphia regional office held its 3rd Annual ADL Youth Leadership Conference: Exploring Diversity, Challenging Hate, sponsored by Verizon, at the University of Pennsylvania on October, 15 2009. The conference, a collaborative effort between No Place for Hate® and the A WORLD OF DIFFERENCE® Institute, has grown from approximately 100 participants in its first year to over 300 participants this year. More than 30 schools from Philadelphia and the surrounding counties were represented at the all-day conference.

Dr. Leon Bass delivered the morning keynote address. Dr. Bass was a nineteen-year-old African- American sergeant serving in a segregated army unit when he encountered the "walking dead" of Buchenwald. Bass told his harrowing story and inspired the group with his positive attitude and encouraging message to challenge hate and bias.

Student leaders and teachers from across the region engaged in workshops led by ADL-trained facilitators. By discussing prejudice and stereotyping, participants gained a better understanding of the value of diversity and learned practical ways to challenge bigotry and hate in their own schools and communities.