User talk:Karen Z. Brass

Standupster is a term, used as a noun and a verb, created by Mrs. Karen Zauder Brass to describe the action one takes when standing up for a person or group by stopping discrimination, hatred, or bullying for the person or group as a whole. Mrs. Brass believes no one should ever stand silent in the face of hatred. While sharing her father’s story of survival from the Holocaust, Mrs. Brass weaves in her thoughts concerning what it means to be a bystander, and how to eliminate discrimination, as it is cruel, irrational, and only flourishes when bystanders are present and do not act. She promotes joining her movement and becoming "Standupsters” and using their inherent ability to ratify bullying in today's school & work environments by joining their voices together as one. She began her website, to make what she teaches more accessible to teachers, parents, mentors, and students alike. Brass believes hatred of others’ differences must be stopped; inclusion must become the new normal. We must practice inclusion, not toleration.  She also teaches why it is important to put an end to stereotyping, selecting scapegoats, and the proliferation of racism and prejudice. Brass asks people to be Standupsters and not bystanders. Brass coined the phrase in the mid-'80s, then she had been written about in a book published about how to stop bullying, where they used her word as the title of the chapter. She realized her word needed to become real and used to stop hatred. She trademarked it and then registered it. "If you see something, say something. If you see it, you own it. When you see it, speak it. Taking action to stop hatred and active discrimination is your responsibility" These are phrases Brass' teaches to help people understand the power they have in making decisions, daily, which affects and positively impacts the quality of their life and that of their fellow students, coworkers, and communities. In her first published book, "I Am A Standupster" ISBN 978-1-477279-92-2 she details the events in her life as the second generation of a Holocaust Survivor and how that experience colored her view. Brass wrote a second book, "Trauma Filters Through" ISBN 978-1-941555-39-2 She wrote a children's book "How To Create Peace" ISBN: 978-1-7364199-0-8 Hardback book ISBN: 978-1-7364199-1-5 Softcover ISBN: 978-1-7364199-2-2 e-book which also references and teaches about what a Standupster is and how to become one. Her Standupster program, through her company, Can I Count On You LLC, teaches people to take personal responsibility in eliminating discrimination of all kinds; race, creed, religious beliefs, physical disabilities, learning differences, mental disabilities, and sexual orientation or gender identity. When YOU see hatred and bias polluting our schools, work environments, and community centers, share that your choice is to be an action taker, a Standupster. She is active on many boards, one of which is with The Coalition Against Global Genocide. On behalf of that organization, she was involved in helping create the educational standards for teaching about the Holocaust and Genocide in public schools in Colorado following the HB20-1336 was passed into law. The Colorado Department Of Education was charged with this task and Mrs. Karen Zauder Brass was involved. They chose to use STANDUPSTER instead of UPSTANDER in their description of what students should choose to be in the face of hatred and discrimination. Standupster has been used in conjunction with Mrs. Karen Zauder Brass's work in newspapers, and in reference within multiple Jewish works within the Holocaust Education rhelm. She has earned multiple awards including from the Colorado Cross Disabilities Coalition for her work in fighting against those with disabilities being discriminated against as well as with Colorado's Women Day two years consecutively, being nominated for the Unsung Heroine Award for her work in promoting Standupsters.Karen Z. Brass (talk) 00:13, 29 April 2021 (UTC)