March 12, 2023

Dear Montclair:

We would like to announce the formation of the Montclair Chapter of The Foundation
Against Intolerance & Racism (FAIR). FAIR is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization
dedicated to advancing civil rights and liberties, and promoting a common culture based
on fairness, understanding, and our humanity. FAIR has almost 100 chapters and more
than 30,000 members nationwide. FAIR’s board of advisors—which includes Montclair
native Coleman Hughes—is a diverse group of prominent intellectuals, journalists, artists,
activists and public figures who embrace a pluralistic ethos and a “pro-human” approach to
controversial issues.

FAIR’s Montclair chapter will aim to promote open and civil discourse across all areas of life
in Montclair from our media to our civil institutions. We believe the way to solve even our
most entrenched problems is to look at them from multiple points of view, to challenge
each other’s ideas, to listen with open minds, and to address social and political issues in a
way that seeks common ground and mutual civility in dialogue with others.

FAIR Montclair will focus initially on education, where we will work to ensure that our
schools encourage free inquiry, open debate, political neutrality and tolerance of diverse
viewpoints. We are concerned that our district has begun to prioritize the inculcation of
social and moral values over academic learning and objective truth, and that some
curricula presents political or social ideologies as fact rather than opinion. We believe an
education that focuses on academic outcomes and employs proven teaching
methodologies will best position students for lifelong success and fulfillment, and is the
minimum our children deserve.

FAIR’s membership in Montclair comprises people from a wide spectrum of political and
social viewpoints—progressives who feel an intolerant ethos has developed among their
political kin, classical liberals seeking to protect individual and political liberties,
conservatives who feel maligned or misunderstood by some quarters of our town, and
those whose views defy easy categorization. What unites the Montclair membership is
dedication to the liberal values of pluralism, open-mindedness, and freedom of thought
and speech, and a concern that some have eschewed these important values in addressing
difficult social and political issues.

We held our first meeting on Martin Luther King Day this year—an appropriate day
because FAIR embraces Dr. King’s commitment to treating all people with dignity, respect
and fairness. We are proud to say that our meeting involved a robust exchange of ideas on
a wide range of issues. We invite Montclair to learn more about FAIR at
https://www.fairforall.org/montclair-nj, where you can also inquire about joining our chapter or
attending our next meeting on March 26.

The Foundation Against Intolerance & Racism
Montclair Chapter