Speak up! calls on everyone to take a stand against everyday bigotry.

In the making of this book, the Southern Poverty Law Center gathered hundreds of stories of everyday bigotry from people across the United States. They told their stories through email, personal interviews and at roundtable discussions in four cities: Baltimore, Md.; Columbia, S.C.; Phoenix, Ariz.; and Vancouver, Wash.

People spoke about encounters in stores and restaurants, on streets and in schools. They spoke about family, friends, classmates and co-workers. They told us what they did or didn’t say — and what they wished they did or didn’t say. We present the stories here anecdotally, organized by the following categories: among family; among friends and neighbors; at work; at school; and in public. Yet no matter the location or relationship, the stories echo each other. For more information on this project see: http://www.tolerance.org/publication/speak