11 Partner Organizations Just Launched Communities Against Hate
Today, The Leadership Conference Education Fund and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law announced the launch of Communities Against Hate, an initiative of 11 prominent national organizations working together to address the disturbing spike in hate incidents across the United States. As part of this initiative, the organizations are launching a database to bring visibility to hate incidents and helping victims and organizations obtain access to legal resources and social services through a resource hotline: 1-844-9-NO-HATE or 1-844-966-4283.
For the first time to aggregate data on hate incidents, organizations representing a diverse set of impacted communities—including the Black, Latinx, LGBTQ, Muslim, Arab communities, as well as women—have come together as Communities Against Hate. This initiative will pull together traditionally disparate reporting of hate incidents and provide support for victims and communities. The pairing of services and documentation is unprecedented and especially critical in the current social climate.
“Acts of hate not only devastate individuals, but also target entire communities, threatening to undermine the most basic tenets of our democracy. Now is the time for communities to come together to prevent these incidents from happening in the first place,” said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference Education Fund.
The hotline will serve as a resource for organizations and individuals working to combat hate in their communities. Through the hotline, trained staff and volunteers will provide access to legal resources, including pro bono attorneys when appropriate, and connections to mental health services or other community organizations and resources.
“Our nation stands at a crossroads. Together, we are working with community leaders, local organizations, philanthropy and law enforcement agencies to combat the scourge of hate and hate-inspired incidents now gripping the nation. We will work with partners across the country to prevent and improve the response to hate incidents,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Additionally, as part of this initiative, the Open Society Foundations to date has made grants to 48 local organizations with innovative ideas for addressing hate incidents in their neighborhoods. These grants, covering 23 states and Puerto Rico, support a wide range of affected communities and diverse approaches to countering hate and helping its victims.
Learn more by visiting www.CommunitiesAgainstHate.org. Follow and participate in the initiative on social media using the official hashtag, #CommunitiesAgainstHate.
- Communities Against Hate is a national initiative to collect data and respond to incidents of violence, threats, and property damage motivated by hate across the United States. The initiative leverages a reporting database (www.CommunitiesAgainstHate.org) that aggregates reports from both victims, witnesses and news accounts of hate incidents, as well as offers legal resources and social services to support people in need. Communities Against Hate aims to aggregate data on hate incidents, providing legal and social support, raising awareness, and educating the public on the prevalence of hate.
- The initiative is led by The Leadership Conference Education Fund, the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, and partner organizations representing diverse communities that reflect the fabric of America, including: Center for Community Change; Color of Change; Genders & Sexualities Alliance Network (GSA Network); Hollaback!; Muslim Advocates; National Council of La Raza; National Network for Arab American Communities (NNAAC); New York City Anti-Violence Project; and the Transgender Law Center. The Southern Poverty Law Center is serving as a strategic advisor to the initiative.