Q&A for How to Stand up to Injustice

No. If you engage in protected activity, which includes reporting harassment, and the employer takes an adverse action against you because of it, then you have an excellent retaliation claim under state and federal law. If you oppose the discriminatory treatment of a co-worker or a subordinate, then that is protected activity and they can't retaliate against you for doing that.

Remember that bias is a natural part of being human—it exists in all of us, whether we realize it or not. It helps us simplify our environment, but then again, it may just have us passing judgment based on unfair grounds. To be able to realize your biases, start by observing your thoughts and feelings. Be more aware of your beliefs and ideas about different groups of people and how you react to certain situations. Being mindful can also let you realize and acknowledge your biases. Also, therapy will give insights into your unconscious biases and how you handle them. But the most important part is recognizing these biases, acknowledging and accepting those biases, and further being prepared to overcome them.

Many injustices are legal. None of the methods in this article assume that the injustice is illegal. The legality of it is exactly why it can take so much work to stand up to. Most illegal injustices can be dealt with more easily by reporting the person breaking the law to the authorities.

There are people and organizations that can help in these sorts of situations. If you are an elderly adult and are being abused by family members, that may constitute elder abuse and can be reported to and investigated by your state's Adult Protective Services (like CPS but for older adults). Even if this is not elder abuse, in any case, you can look for a child and family services agency or community mental health center in your area. These agencies have social workers and family therapists who are trained to help families navigate situations like this.

The most that you can do is spread awareness. Be vocal. Social media, signs, posters, (peaceful) protests, etc.. I cannot stress enough the importance of being peaceful and civil though. People are going to be upset and will criticize you for trying to defend a prisoner, but don't let that dishearten you. Injustice, regardless of who it is against, needs to be exposed.

That is correct. Everyone has their own biases. Read everything critically, look for counter-arguments, and fact-check everything. Try to find neutral and reliable sources to look at.

Publicize it. Make videos, write journalism - for your own blog is okay, but if you can sell an article to the paper that's even better. Speak out on social media. If you have inside sources from the police that absolutely prove they set people out, approach an investigative journalist you feel you can trust to keep your identity safe.