Anti-Defamation League

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) is an organization that advocates nondiscrimination and equality of all people, with a special focus on Jewish people, culture, and heritage. Based in New York City, the ADL has 29 offices in the United States and three offices in other countries. The ADL was founded in October 1913 by Sigmund Livingston with the support of the Independent Order of B'nai B'rith, a Jewish service organization. The league's original motto was “to stop, by appeals to reason and conscious, and if necessary, by appeals to law, the defamation of the Jewish people.”

The current motto of the league is “to stop the defamation of the Jewish people [and] to secure justice and fair treatment to all.” The change of wording in slogans over the years illustrates how the organization evolved over time. As it exists today, the ADL attempts to fight anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry; defend democratic ideals and protect civil rights; advocate support for Israel with policy makers, the media, and the public; and defend the security of the state of Israel and Jews worldwide. The ADL's ultimate goals are to secure justice and fair treatment for all citizens and to put an end to unfair discrimination against any body of citizens.

Transcript

• Voiceover: Listen, for a moment, to a group of men, Navy supervisors, as they talk honestly about what is on their minds.
• I feel that you are racist.
• Racist, no. Do I feel that I have prejudices? Yes. Now, if there is no difference, then I'm a racist. But a racist has implications of being – preferring the white race to the black race, to the yellow race, or to any other and that, per se, the white race is superior. And I don't believe this.
• I sincerely believe that, generally speaking, most whites are racist. And here lies the big problem. They have this superiority feeling that they are better. Now, I don't mean physically, but just generally speaking. Otherwise, there would be no problem; if you felt that every man was equal and one man was good as the other, then there would be no problem.
• I think that the basic element that we're dealing with here, and the reason that it is so difficult is because it's fear. And it's unfounded and unreasoning fear.
• Maybe that mechanic down there is worried about the next leading man job that's opening up.
• And I have heard this among the mechanical people.
• And if you go and check with people, you'll find this out. You go and check with the mechanic that works on the job and you'll find out the lofty social ideas you've got go out the window. It's purely economics; on social basis, they don't want the competition.
• The guy on the job feels this way: there are so many opportunities. If they are going to provide more to the colored man, that's less opportunities for me. If they're going to provide more for anybody else, that's less for me. And this is what he's afraid of.