Upstanders: How Jorge Arteaga Of ‘Right To Be’ Is Standing Up Against Antisemitism, Racism, Bigotry, and Hate
…First, always prioritize your safety and listen to your gut instincts. Next, no one is expecting you to put on a cape, an S on your chest, and swoop in to save the day; all it takes is one thing. You do not have to do everything, but at least do one thing. You won’t always get it right, and that’s ok, but the point is to step in to support people who are experiencing harm as a way of showing them they’re not alone and showing others that harmful behavior is not tolerated in our communities…
An upstander is the opposite of a bystander. A bystander is someone who stands by while others are being bullied, maligned, or mistreated. An upstander is someone who stands up to protect and advocate for the victim. We are sadly seeing a surge of hate, both online and in the real world. Many vulnerable minorities feel threatened and under attack. What measures are individuals, communities, and organizations taking to stand up against Antisemitism, Racism, Bigotry, and Hate? In this interview series, we are talking to activists, community leaders, and individuals who are Upstanders against hate, to share what they are doing and to inspire others to do the same. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Jorge Arteaga.
Jorge is the VP of Movement Building at Right To Be, where he leads efforts to advance the organization’s mission of ending hate and harassment in all its forms and creating a world filled with humanity through education, advocacy, and community organizing. With a deep commitment to social justice, he strives to empower people, communities, and organizations with the tools to create safer, more inclusive environments for all. Jorge’s leadership has driven transformative programs that inspire cultural change and promote equity in public space, at work, and online.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Before we dive in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us your “Origin Story”? Can you tell us the story of how you grew up?
I grew up in Bushwick, Brooklyn, in NYC, and was raised in a matriarchy by Afro-Latina, Puerto Rican women who were among the first community organizers and activists I encountered in my life-I just didn’t know it then. From standing up for women who were experiencing domestic violence to providing housing and food for LGBTQ youth whose families did not accept them, they showed me at a very young age the importance of justice and seeing the humanity in everyone. My aunt was among the first community leaders to be the Executive Director for the Hispanic-serving institution. My grandmother, mom, and aunts were fierce women who were heavily involved in and advocated for their communities. Through their spirit of activism, I realized I, too, wanted to take a stand to empower, advocate for, and serve my community.
Can you share a personal story of how you experienced or encountered antisemitism, racism, bigotry, or hate? How did that experience shape your perception and actions moving forward?
Growing up as a “fat kid,” there was no shortage of bullying or cruelty that I experienced. Upon reflecting on my experience, living in NYC provided me with this sense of safety because I could find people who looked like, spoke like, and lived like me, but I could also find folks from all walks of life. It wasn’t until 2017 when I decided to move down to North Carolina, that I realized I had been living in a bubble my entire life and that not every place was like New York City. I had just come out to my family 2 years prior and was newly married to my partner when I decided to move there. While the entire experience itself was transformative and deepened my commitment and passion for social justice, two experiences in particular shifted my perspective. One summer afternoon after taking my break from work, I was standing outside my workplace at the local Arts Council on the phone with my partner, just talking about the day and what we would eat for dinner, and I noticed that there was a green pick-up truck parked on the curb, and the vehicle was running, but I paid no mind. A couple of minutes later, I finished my call and began to walk back into the building when all of a sudden, this man yells out of the pickup truck, “You F-ing F****t, Get Out of here, your kind is not wanted here.” At first, I was stunned but then embarrassed and angry. Another time while living there, I was one of 4 out of 12 staff members of color and the only Latino. We were planning a festival and looking for talent to bring to the event when the idea of getting a “Spanish Band” suddenly came up. I remember sitting in the room, and they were deciding what night to hire the band for when, all of a sudden, the executive director looked over to me and said, “Well, when do your people like to come out and party? I know they party all the time, but when do you think?” I laughed it off in the moment, and so did everyone else in the room, but I remember feeling singled out and upset like I don’t speak for the entire Latino community; I’m one person.
These experiences, along with people referring to my husband as my friend all the time, even though they knew we were married, quite frankly made me feel like I was other, like I didn’t belong. It wasn’t until I started to speak with my Black colleagues and other gay friends I had made in the community that I realized that it was simply how things were and how you should expect to be treated for being exactly who you were. That emboldened my passion for working for causes that fought for people to have the right to be who they were, wherever they were, no matter what, and that we all deserved the right to be treated with dignity and respect.
Can you describe how you or your organization is helping to stand up against hate? What inspired you to take up this cause?
Right To Be provides people with the tools and resources to safely intervene in, respond to, and heal from hate and harassment. We do this by providing training on various topics such as Bystander Intervention, Conflict De-escalation, Resilience Building, Mitigating Implicit Bias, and Digital Safety, to name a few. We also map stories of hate and harassment and bystander intervention on our Hate and Hope Tracker to raise awareness so that we can support communities experiencing heightened levels of hate by reaching out to local community leaders in the areas and sharing the stories. We lead the Allies Solidarity Network, which is a coalition of 12 of our partners who all serve communities that experience hate and harassment in different forms. We use the power of the collective to raise awareness for our causes and activate the network whenever one of the communities we serve experiences hate and harassment. We also have the Right To Be YOUth program, a school-based* anti-bullying curriculum for youth in grades 8–12 primarily focused on creating an environment in which bullying is not welcomed. We empower students to safely intervene when they observe bullying and disrespect, using Right To Be’s 5Ds of Bystander Intervention.
I decided to take up Right To Be’s cause because early on in my career, after leaving corporate America, I decided I no longer wanted to work to make a corporation richer but that I wanted to work for causes that wanted to make the world better for people with my identities and other marginalized people, and generally wanted to create a better world for everyone. And so, I first started off working at an LGBT community center, then I worked in arts & arts education, and then I moved into doing racial justice work. At this point, I thought I would just stay in the racial justice part of the movement. But then I found Right To Be, which had this mission of ending harassment in all its forms and creating a world filled with humanity where everyone had the right to be who they were, wherever they were, and that resonated with my soul. I genuinely believe that folks have the right to live their lives free of harm with dignity and respect, regardless of what identity they hold.
Can you tell us the most interesting story that happened to you since you began your work as an Upstander?
Before coming to Right To Be, I always thought the only way to intervene was through confrontation and that I had to assert myself in the situation to make a point that I was a man and that I was going to save the day. It wasn’t until I learned about Right To Be’s 5 D’s of Bystander Intervention during my first 90 days of onboarding that I realized that my approach was dangerous because it could make it unsafe for myself and make the situation worse for the other person I was trying to help. It was my second month on the job, and I was headed down to the mail room in the building where our offices are. As I was getting ready to enter the mail room, I heard a woman who seemed upset and heard her saying, “Please leave me alone; I’m not bothering anyone; why are you saying this? I just want to get my mail.” And immediately after, I heard a bunch of misogynistic and racist expletives hurled at her. I was immediately angered, and as someone who identified as a direct intervener, I marched into the mailroom and saw this older man cornering the woman. I went up to him and said something like, “She asked you to leave her alone, back up and give her some space; what you’re doing is wrong.” And this man turned and then started to yell obscenities at me. I felt my blood boil and was ready to tell this man about himself, and right as I prepared to respond with the most vile thing I could think of, I looked down and saw this woman’s face, and she was terrified. I immediately knew I was about to make the situation worse and that I would let this become about me instead of helping her. Instead, I asked her if I could get her some help because I knew I would probably just make it worse and I walked over to the building’s security desk, where I explained what happened and asked them to help her. This is what we call Delegate or finding someone else to help. A couple week s went by, when we got a knock at the office door, and it was the woman thanking me for intervening that day and helping her. It was one of the most fulfilling moments I’ve experienced at Right To Be.
Could you share an inspiring story that demonstrates the impact your efforts have had on an individual or community?
I am inspired by our work every day, but a significant experience for me was going back to the high school I attended to train the students on Bystander Intervention training. We started providing our 75-minute training with a few classes of students. The following year, we were in the pilot phase of our youth curriculum, and we piloted it in 4 classrooms. After the pilot, I went back to the school, it had been a few months at that point, to conduct a focus group with some of the students who had gone through the curriculum. As we started to talk about their experiences with the curriculum, what I witnessed and heard was profoundly moving and assured me that our work was transformational, with the possibility of creating deep cultural change. One of the questions we asked was, “What was one thing you learned that was surprising or shifted your perspective?” And one student opened up and said, “I didn’t realize all the harm I was causing even to the people I called my friends, even when I thought I was joking.” He then shared that in the middle of the curriculum, they discussed times when you felt like you didn’t belong or someone made you feel less than because of who you were. In that class, his best friend opened up and shared that for about a year he had stopped speaking and would go home every day to practice sounding “American.” And that he had chosen not to speak again until he could sound American because of how others treated him. You see, his friend had moved to the US from Nigeria and had an accent. He would often ridicule and make fun of his friend’s accent. And then one day, he said his friend stopped talking, not stopped talking to him, but just stopped talking altogether. His friend then ended up leaving the school for a few months, and upon returning, they became friends again. He explained, always wondering why his friend stopped talking and left the school. It wasn’t until he went through the curriculum that it was revealed to him that his friend stopped talking and left for a while because he could not take the constant joking and making fun of him because of his accent. He then said, “If I knew sooner that my behavior could cause someone so much hurt, I wouldn’t have done it.” He ended by saying that having the curriculum gave him the tools to step in whenever he saw someone else doing to someone what he did to his friend.
In your opinion, why do you think there has been such a surge of antisemitism, racism, bigotry, & hate, recently?
In my opinion, there are many reasons why we’re seeing a surge in antisemitism, racism, bigotry, and hate today. These reasons include but aren’t limited to, fear, ignorance, bias, stress, cultural differences, a scarcity mindset, upbringing, the divisive narratives perpetuated by the media and some politicians, and a host of other factors. These factors reflect the complexity of what’s driving this surge, but let me be clear — none of them excuse hate in any form.
At the core, I believe we are far more alike than we are different. When we allow fear or ignorance to take the lead, we lose sight of our shared humanity. It’s critical that we recognize and address the underlying causes of this surge, but we must also hold fast to the belief that unity and understanding are the way forward. Hate has no place in our society, and we all have a role to play in creating a world where our differences are not a source of division, but an opportunity for connection.
Are there three things the community/society/politicians can do to help you address the root of the problem you are trying to solve?
I believe there are three things we can all do — not just to address the root of the problem but to begin seeing the humanity in one another. First, we need to recognize that at some point in our lives, we have all either witnessed harm, experienced harm, or — whether inadvertently or not — caused harm. That’s part of being human. What truly matters is what we do next. That means taking a moment to learn from communities and people who are not like us, to understand the ways in which they’ve experienced harm. Seek out those connections and find the ways we are more alike than different, because we’ve all had moments when we were made to feel ‘less than.’
Second, once we’ve done the work of learning and acknowledging harm, we need to make a commitment — not just to awareness but to action. Don’t let harm happen in your presence without doing something about it. Whether it’s stepping in as an Upstander in the moment to intervene on someone’s behalf, organizing within your community to stand up against hate, or contacting your local elected officials to inform them about the harm happening in your area, commit to doing something. Even one action can make a difference.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, we have to hold ourselves accountable. It’s not enough to just know that harm exists; we have to actively prevent it and challenge it when we see it. The worst thing we can do is nothing. Commit to at least one action — no matter how small — but don’t stay silent. Change begins with all of us, one step at a time.
What are your “5 Things Everyone Can Do To Be An Upstander”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.
1 . Distract- Create a distraction to deescalate a situation. The idea is to give the person experiencing the harm a way out. You can walk up to the person experiencing the harm and ask them an unrelated question. In a public setting, you can walk up to them and say, “Hey, I’m lost. Can you help me?” or “Hey, do you know what time it is?” or even act as if you knew them, “Hey, how have you been? I haven’t seen you in a while.”
2 . Delegate- Find someone to help. Chances are someone wants to help in the situation and doesn’t know how. So here you simply want to ask and tell them how they can help. In a public space, you can look at the person next to you and say something like, “Hey, do you see what’s going on, I don’t feel comfortable intervening can you say something?” Or you might go to someone who is an authority in the space, like a store manager, waiter, or bus driver and ask them for help. Always check in with the person experiencing the harm and ask them if they want you to call the police. Sometimes, calling the police can make the situation worse. If you feel that danger is imminent, however, use your best judgement.
3 . Document- Create documentation of the situation and then give it to the person experiencing the harm. Often times the burden of proof is left on the person who experienced the harm so you can pull out your phone and record the situation or even write down what you see and then give to the person so they can choose if they want to report it or not. Most importantly, make sure someone is already helping this person, like finding help or intervening before you start recording what you see.
4 . Delay- Check in with the person after the situation has passed. Sometimes, the harm can happen so quickly that we don’t even get a chance to intervene at the moment, but we can still check in on the person to make sure they’re ok. Research we did on the over 32,000 stories we’ve collected shows that as little as a knowing glance greatly reduces the trauma people experience after a situation of hate or harassment. Ask them, “Are you ok? Can I help you in some way?” or “I saw what happened, and I’m sorry, that wasn’t ok, and you don’t deserve that.”
5 . Direct- Set a clear boundary and then care for the person experiencing the harm. You directly address the person causing the harm and say something like, “They seem uncomfortable. You should give them some space” or “What you said was completely inappropriate or racist or antisemitic. Its not ok, and you should stop talking to them and give them some space.” The idea is to set a clear boundary and then turn to the person to ensure they’re ok. Do not further engage the person causing the harm once you’ve stated the boundary to avoid escalating the situation. Only use Direct if you feel safe doing so.
How do you handle the emotional toll that comes with being an Upstander?
There’s a real emotional toll that can come with intervening, and I’ve experienced it all — from anger to sadness to disbelief. In the moment before I intervene, I always assess the situation and check in with myself. How am I feeling? What’s the best way for me to step in? While direct intervention is my go-to, there have been times when I’ve feared for my own safety and chosen to delegate or get help instead. Other times, I’ve noticed that the person is already standing up for themselves, so I’ve used delay by checking on them after the situation has passed.
Afterward, I always take time to check in with myself. If the situation has caused me anger or sadness, I find ways to process those emotions. Sometimes that’s putting on my headphones and listening to my favorite song; other times, it’s calling my partner or mom to vent about what happened. Processing what I’ve experienced is key, but I also make a point to remind myself that I did my best to make a difference and disrupt harm. That reflection helps me move forward and stay committed to standing up against hate.
If you were in charge of the major social media companies, what would you do to address the hate on the platforms? Could you share specific strategies or policies that you believe would be effective in addressing hate on social media platforms?
This question is incredibly timely, especially given some of the drastic changes to major social media platforms that have created conditions where hate speech and harassment can thrive. At Right To Be, we believe in the power of people and communities to create change. That’s why the strategies we propose focus on providing everyday users with simple, effective actions they can take to protect themselves and support others.
First, we would encourage users to fortify their digital safety. This includes educating people on how to use privacy settings, block harmful accounts, and report abusive content effectively. Creating safer digital spaces starts with empowering users to take control of their online environments.
Next, we’d equip users with the tools to utilize Right To Be’s 5Ds of Bystander Intervention in online settings. Strategies like documenting incidents, offering direct support to those targeted, and delegating to appropriate channels or authorities can be transformative in disrupting hate while also showing solidarity with those impacted.
Beyond these immediate actions, social media companies themselves need to play a larger role in addressing hate on their platforms. Scholars have pointed out that transparency is key — platforms should regularly publish reports on the prevalence of hate speech, their moderation practices, and the effectiveness of their interventions. They must also invest in better content moderation, leveraging both human moderators and advanced AI tools while ensuring these systems are culturally informed and free of biases.
Education is another crucial component. Social media platforms should partner with organizations like Right To Be to provide accessible training on digital literacy, including how to recognize hate speech, address unconscious bias, and respond constructively to harmful behavior. Building a culture of accountability and empathy online requires consistent education and engagement.
Finally, platforms must adopt stronger policies against hate speech, with clear definitions and enforcement mechanisms. This includes holding high-profile users accountable, as their influence can significantly amplify hate or create a ripple effect for positive change.
At the heart of all these strategies is the belief that addressing hate online isn’t just about technology or policy — it’s about people. It’s about creating communities where everyone feels safe, valued, and respected. And while social media platforms have a responsibility to lead this charge, we, as users, also have the power to disrupt harm, build solidarity, and contribute to a more inclusive digital world.
How would you answer someone who says: “Hate speech is permitted under the US Constitution. Why are you so worried about permitted, and legal speech?”
I would respond “Yes, you’re right. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects most hate speech as free speech, as long as it doesn’t go too far and become illegal, like making real threats of violence or harassing people. But just because its legal doesn’t mean it’s right, safe, or should be ignored.”
Hate speech makes people feel less human and normalizes bias. It leads to real problems, like mental health issues, impacts people’s social lives, and can lead to extreme violence. Even though it is legal, some speech can still be harmful to society. Educating and raising knowledge about this problem is a proactive way to create a culture where everyone feels valued and safe, not just protected by the law. So, stopping hate speech is not about taking away rights it’s about creating safe and welcoming places where people feel respected and safe.
Are you optimistic that we can solve this problem in the United States? Can you please explain what you mean?
I believe that one day we can achieve a world free from hate, harassment, and violence. This vision isn’t just a distant dream — it’s something we can build together, step by step. I believe it will take all of us, taking small, consistent actions every day, to change our culture from one where hate is seen as an unfortunate price of identity to one where everyone has the right to be themselves and live with dignity and respect.
When I say it will take all of us, I mean starting at the personal level — examining our own beliefs and biases, and reflecting on how we might unknowingly be creating harm. This is about acknowledging our role and making a commitment to embrace differences, even when we disagree, holding onto the shared truth that everyone is a human being who deserves respect and dignity.
From there, we look at our relationships — how we interact with those closest to us. It’s about recognizing harm within these connections, addressing it with compassion, and believing in the ability of others to change. This work, grounded in understanding and a willingness to see the humanity in everyone, creates a ripple effect.
As we transform ourselves and our relationships, we begin to see change within our communities, organizations, and, eventually, our societal institutions. It’s a journey of collective accountability rooted in the belief that we are all capable of contributing to a culture where hate and harm are not tolerated. Together, through intentional and consistent effort, I believe we can build a world that upholds dignity and respect for all.
What advice would you give to someone who wants to become an Upstander but doesn’t know where to start?
First, always prioritize your safety and listen to your gut instincts. Next, no one is expecting you to put on a cape, an S on your chest, and swoop in to save the day; all it takes is one thing. You do not have to do everything, but at least do one thing. You won’t always get it right, and that’s ok, but the point is to step in to support people who are experiencing harm as a way of showing them they’re not alone and showing others that harmful behavior is not tolerated in our communities.
In what ways can education be leveraged to combat antisemitism, racism, bigotry, and hate?
First, education should focus on understanding the lived experiences of the communities that face hate. By learning about their realities, we foster empathy and create awareness of the struggles they endure. Then, education should explore the wide-ranging consequences of hate — not just for those who experience it but also for those who perpetuate it. This includes the mental, emotional, and social impacts of hate, as well as, for those who hold spiritual or religious beliefs, the spiritual consequences of harboring hate or inflicting harm. Education should show how hate damages relationships, fractures communities, and weakens the very fabric of our society. By addressing these areas, education becomes a powerful tool for building understanding, empathy, and lasting change. Lastly, we can educate our communities on how to safely combat these forms of hate when they see it.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“We have to make the choice — every single day — to exemplify the truth, the respect, and the grace that we wish for this world.”- Oprah Winfrey
For me, it means that the transformation I want to see in the world begins with how I choose to live my life and how I choose to treat others every moment of every day. It is about being intentional with everything I say and do, about leading by example, and doing it consistently even when it may not be easy or I may not get the outcome I wanted, but knowing I was true to myself and to the vision I. hold for the world I want to live in. Most importantly, it reminds me that I am always in choice; I cannot control what may happen, but I have a choice in how I respond.
Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would like to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this, especially if we tag them. 🙂
I mean… Oprah, of course! She’s been a daily source of inspiration for me. Back in 2017 leading into 2018, I went through one of my first big existential crises — or at least the first one as an adult. I had made the decision to move out of state, but I regretted it deeply and ended up moving back home. I was overwhelmed with feelings of shame and regret. Somehow, I stumbled across an episode where Oprah and Brené Brown talked about shame and regret, and that episode cracked something wide open inside me. For the first time, I realized I wasn’t alone in feeling this way.
What struck me even more was hearing people openly talk about something as vulnerable as shame. I didn’t think people discussed these things out loud. Listening to that episode led me to another, and then another. Before I knew it, I realized how small and constrained I had been living my life — how I had closed myself off to the possibility of being someone more than who I was in that moment.
Oprah didn’t just open up the world for me; through her and the stories of the many people she’s interviewed, she helped me open my heart. She gave me the courage to confront my own feelings and see that vulnerability and growth go hand in hand. Sitting down with her for breakfast or lunch would be the honor of a lifetime — not just to express my gratitude but to share how her work continues to inspire me to live a life of purpose and possibility.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
You can visit our website https://righttobe.org/ , share a story of hate and hope that happened to you or see in the media at https://hateandhope.righttobe.org/. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram at @righttobeorg, and on Tik Tok at @righttobe_org
This was very meaningful, thank you so much. We wish you only continued success in your important work!
Upstanders: How Jorge Arteaga Of ‘Right To Be’ Is Standing Up Against Antisemitism, Racism… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.