When I constructed a page about Leni Riefenstahl for my Freshman Seminar class "Art and Politics," I never expected that I would be adding a page like this one. But I discovered that there was a link to my Riefenstahl page from a neo-Nazi site, and I decided that I must do this. I suspect that there are far fewer real adherents to the morally repugnant ideas of Nazism than they would have us believe, but it is possible that there are a few people so filled with fear and hatred that they consider themselves in that camp. This page is for them, but also for the rest of us.
Here you will find links to groups that I believe tell the truth, and that try to further our understanding of what it means to be human. They are very useful to me, and I hope every visitor to this page will join in the struggle for true hope and freedom for every person.
The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization which includes people of various faiths who are committed to social justice, peace and humanitarian service. Its work is based on the belief in the worth of every person, and faith in the power of love to overcome violence and injustice.
The Anti-Defamation League has been fighting anti-Semitism, prejudice and bigotry since 1913. It has wonderful links for resources on current events, teaching children to respond to hatred, and many other important subjects.
The Mazal Library: A Holocaust Resource is a research source of thousands of materials related to the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, racism and bigotry. Its vast collection of primary sources contains important evidence that refutes the amazing contention that the Holocaust was not the inhuman horror that it really was.
The NAACP, The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, works to ensure the political, educational, social and economic equality of minority group citizens among the citizens of the United States. It is committed to nonviolence, and relies upon the press, the petition, the ballot and the courts, and is persistent in the use of legal and moral persuasion even in the face of overt and violent racial hostility.
The National Conference for Community and Justice, founded in 1927 as The National Conference of Christians and Jews, is a human relations organization dedicated to fighting bias, bigotry and racism in America. NCCJ promotes understanding and respect among all races, religions and cultures through advocacy, conflict resolution and education.
The National Gay and Lesbian Task Force is a progressive civil rights organization that has supported grassroots organizing and advocacy for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights since 1973. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate, and inclusive representation of individuals and events in all media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
The National Interreligious Service Board for Conscientious Objectors, an association supported by over 35 religious bodies, was formed in 1940 in order to defend and extend the rights of conscientious objectors to war.
The Nonviolence Web contains links to many groups working for peace and justice, such as the Fellowship of Reconciliation, Pax Christi USA and the War Resisters League.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center Museum of Tolerance Learning Center offers a comprehensive resource on the Holocaust and World War II.
The Southern Poverty Law Center combats hate, intolerance and discrimination through education and litigation. Its programs include Teaching Tolerance and the Intelligence Project, which incorporates Klanwatch and the Militia Task Force.
Webster University's Center for the Study of the Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights is dedicated to the education of our students, our faculty, our community and ourselves. The Holocaust was a horrible and perhaps unparalleled instance of human cruelty, violence, and genocide. Six million Jews and five million non-Jews died at the hands of Nazi assault. It must not be forgotten.
In the context of such rich resources for learning about both history and humanity, we can begin to consider Leni Riefenstahl.
(These links were all fully functional when this page was created. Should any problems emerge, please let me know!)