The LegiSchool Project of California State University, Sacramento, and the California State Legislature planned two town hall meetings focusing on hate crime for the winter of 1999-2000, one in Los Angeles and one in Sacramento to provide forums in which California's high school students, educators, and legislators can engage in face-to-face dialogue about problems of mutual interest. This guide contains background materials, articles, and critical thinking questions to help participants prepare for the meetings. The resource materials are: (1) "Statement by the President"; (2) "S.622: Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 1999"; (3) "SB 80: Hate Crimes Prevention and Prosecution"; (4) "California's Civil and Criminal Laws Pertaining to Hate Crimes"; (5) "Erasing Hate: A Guide to Civil Rights in Your School"; (6) "A Policymaker's Guide to Hate Crimes"; (7) "Hate Crime in California 1998"; (8) "What Makes a Crime Front-Page News?"; (9) "Wiping Out Hate in U.S.: Change Must Begin Community by Community"; (10) "Crimes of Hate"; (11) "Wave of Hate Crimes Reflects a War against Immigrants"; (12) "If We Respond to Hate Groups with Hate: Silenced, They May Be More Dangerous"; (13) "Arson Hits 3 Synagogues in Sacramento Area"; (14) "Charges Filed in Slaying of Gay Couple"; (15) "A Skinhead's Story: An Interview with a Former Racist"; (16) "Resisting Arrest: Racist Resistance Records Isn't Slowing Down"; (17) "Activism vs Hacktivism: HateWatch Condemns Hacking Hate Sites"; (18) "Violence, Hate and Youth"; (19) "Freedom of Hate Speech: Good or Bad, the Internet Is an Open Forum"; (20) "Net Spreads Hate, but Also Fights It"; (21) "National Anti-Violence Coalition Urges House To Pass Hate Crimes Protection Act"; (22) "Taking Hate Groups to Court"; (23) "Fighting Hate across the Nation"; (24) "Hate Crime Laws in the United States July 1999"; (25) "Intelligence Project: Active Hate Groups in the U.S. in 1998"; (26) "Hate Behavior Pyramid"; (27) "No Hate Resource Site: Response to Hate Crimes in the Miami University Community"; (28) "Ten Hate Violence Prevention Resources and Publications on the Web"; (29) "Somewhere in America"; (30) "Ten Ways To Fight Hate"; and (31) "Prejudice: 101 Ways You Can Beat It!." (SLD)