On Monday, Sept. 23, the Tamalpais Union High School District (TUHSD) had the first Stop and Learn of the 2024-2025 school year regarding anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. Speakers Karen Stiller, Senior Director of Jewish Affairs from the Islamic Network Group (ING), and Maha Elgenaidi, the Executive Director of the ING, spoke to students through a Zoom Webinar to understand anti-Semitism and Islamophobia.
While the lesson focused on different kinds of biases, the webinar mostly educated students on the effects of unconscious bias. Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about specific groups of people that individuals develop without being aware of them. Stiller and Elgenaidi led conversations about the impact of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia, respectively, by teaching students about how unconscious bias is ingrained in history and our current culture.
“Anti-Semitism has been around for a really long time, and much of it comes in the form of unconscious bias that people don’t recognize. It’s become baked into our culture,” Stiller said.
Not only did Stiller and Engenaidi talk about the impact unconscious bias has on others, but also how to recognize it within themselves.
“We all come into this [world] with our own biases and preconceptions, and acknowledging what your blind spots are really leads to better, more open and honest conversations which provide a practical path forward,” Stiller said.
Senior Marcus Aghili believes the Stop and Learn will help improve students’ self-awareness and better understand the impact of their words and actions. “I think [the Stop and Learn] will help people understand their actions more and how what they say [can affect people],” Aghili said. “I think it also helps me see my actions and my implicit biases that can help to counteract [biases] in the community.”
Encouraging people to stop and think about their words and actions may decrease the amount of unconscious biases that are seen in the community. Although, stopping and thinking isn’t the only way to improve as a society. Elgenaidi pointed out that it is equally important to take direct action to counteract bias.
“Reporting incidents when you see them, and encouraging other people to report as well promote[s] inclusion of people from diverse backgrounds which can foster a sense of belonging and help break down barriers that may exist,” Elgenaidi said. “Allyship is about taking concrete actions to support marginalized communities and be consistent. It’s not a one time thing.”
If community members would like to give feedback on the Stop and Learn, they can do so through a feedback form sent out by Principal Barnaby Payne. Community members are also encouraged to fill out the anonymous racial incident reporting form, located on the Redwood website under the Community tab and the Racial Equity tab if they see or hear of a racial incident.
