In fall 2024 MIT embarked on a series of initiatives to enhance a campus environment free of discrimination and harassment and to ensure compliance with applicable federal and state laws, including Title VI of the Civil Rights Act (the federal statute that prohibits discrimination based on race, color and national origin, including shared ancestry, by entities that receive federal funding).
Of particular concern at campuses across the country, including MIT, has been a rise in reported incidents of antisemitism, Islamophobia, and anti-Palestinian, anti-Arab, and anti-Israeli discrimination. The Institute has worked diligently to provide programming, communications, and other forms of support to all communities.
Resources
We offer these materials for educational purposes, not to suggest an endorsement or an official Institute position on the content. Every public resource may appear slanted to some. The resources here, made by outside groups, offer a place to begin to explore these subjects, but they do not necessarily represent the positions or policies of MIT. Any complaints will be resolved through MIT’s complaint resolution procedures.
Antisemitism
Video: Antisemitism in Our Midst: Past and Present (The Center for Jewish Studies, UC Berkeley)
- This video provides the history of antisemitism from its origins until today. It tackles the hard questions about different and changing forms of antisemitism, persistent anti-Jewish stereotypes, the complex racial position of Jews in contemporary America, and the line between criticism of Israel and antisemitism.
Antisemitism and Its Impacts (Facing History and Ourselves)
- This article outlines antisemitism and the many ways it shows up in society. It provides historical context for the centuries-long persistence of antisemitism and how this form of prejudice and discrimination continues to impact individuals and communities today, and how it can fuel hatred and violence.
What is Antisemitism? (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum)
- An article about antisemitism’s roots and its many forms, expressions, and practices over the past several centuries.
Islamophobia
Video: What is Islamophobia? (Newcastle University)
- This video explains how Islamophobia is structural, institutional, and personal, and why these forms of discrimination perpetuate anti-Muslim racism.
Islamophobia: Toward a Legal Definition and Framework (Columbia Law Review)
- This article describes the animus, suspicion, and bigotry experienced by Muslim Americans. Islamophobia is described and analyzed through a three-part framework—private, structural, and dialectical—that clarifies the complexities of Islamophobia and how to combat it.
Countering and Dismantling Islamophobia (Institute for Social Policy and Understanding)
- A comprehensive toolkit to guide individuals and communities who want to challenge and dismantle Islamophobia.
Additional Resources
Fighting Hate: A Primer on Antisemitism and Islamophobia
- This primer, a distillation of research developed by multiple experts, provides the history and present-day view of antisemitism and Islamophobia. The primer then dives into a (US centric) campus and business specific view, enabling the reader to better understand the implications and effects of hate on campus and in the workplace. The concluding section explores some of the best practices to counter hate.
Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life (ORSEL)
- With over 20 chaplains representing many of the world’s religious, spiritual and ethical traditions, and more than 25 different student communities, ORSEL is a resource for students, faculty, and staff, of all faith traditions and belief systems.
MIT Libraries guide: Israel and Palestine. Understanding the Conflict
- A curated list of books, films, bibliographies, virtual libraries, and news sources suggested by MIT faculty.
Dialogues Across Difference (Spring 2024 series at MIT)
- A series of guest lectures and campus conversations to educate the MIT community, model disagreement, and elevate dialogue, including lectures from Pamela Nadell (Understanding Antisemitism: Enduring Hatred) and Dalia Mogahed (Islamophobia: A Threat to All).
For more information about Title VI, please visit the Office of General Counsel’s FAQs (authentication required).