#AgainstHate: Remembering Charlottesville and Continuing the Fight

Sunday, August 12, 2018 marked the one-year anniversary of the Charlottesville violence that tore into our nation’s fabric of justice, equality, and inclusion.As we continue in the fight against white supremacy and hate in all forms, it is crucial to acknowledge the state of hate in our country today. Hate leaves no community behind; it affects people of all races, ethnicities, religions, gender identities, sexual identities, disabilities, and nationalities.

Now more than ever, our country and its people deserve support to fight white supremacy and hate in all its forms. Along with our partners, we’re part of the fight to educate, engage, and empower Charlottesville’s community and beyond.

The State of Hate

Unfortunately, the Charlottesville tragedy was not an isolated incident. Our country is plagued with an epidemic of hate crimes and incidents that affect marginalized communities every day. According to the most recent data released by the FBI in November 2017, the number of reported hate crimes rose from 5,850 incidents in 2015 to 6,121 in 2016.

These data almost certainly understate the true number of hate incidents committed in our nation. Victims may be fearful of authorities and thus may not report these incidents. Some local authorities may not accurately classify these violent incidents as motivated by hate and thus fail to report them to the federal government.

On June 11, 2018, Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference, submitted a statement to the United States Commission on Civil Rights (USCCR) following their briefing, “In the Name of Hate: Examining the Federal Government’s Role in Responding to Hate Crimes.” In her testimony, Gupta urges the need for significant policy changes to improve data collection; educate and empower law enforcement agencies to better respond to hate; and expand inclusive anti-bias education, hate crime prevention, and bullying, cyberbullying, and harassment education initiatives.

Taking on this persistent gap in data, sister organization The Leadership Conference Education Fund is proud to lead Communities Against Hate, in partnership with the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and over 25 national, state, and local partners across racial, gender, religious, and sexual orientation communities. Communities Against Hate is a diverse coalition of groups coming together for the first time to document hate and demand action.

Communities Against Hate provides a safe place for survivors and witnesses to share stories of hate incidents through our online database and the telephone hotline. No one should fight hate alone – and you don’t have to. Rise up #AgainstHate by reporting hate by going to CommunitiesAgainstHate.org.

Resources

Report Hate to Communities Against Hate & Access Resources here.

Reports / Fact Sheets

General Resources

Action Opportunities

  • Report Hate to Communities Against Hate & Access Resources here.
  • NCJW along with 16 Jewish organizations are urging removal of Stephen Miller from power. Sign the interfaith petition to remove Miller from power with the same demand.
  • Lawyers’ Committee: Targeted by hate?
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