CA vs Hate Teams Up With San Francisco Giants and Oakland Roots
The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is partnering with the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Roots to take a stand against hate and discrimination.
By Edward Henderson | California Black Media
The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is partnering with the San Francisco Giants and the Oakland Roots to take a stand against hate and discrimination.
Established by the department’s California vs Hate program,
the collaboration aims to inform more Californians about resources the CRD provides to combat hate across the state. The campaign is also designed to promote racial tolerance and cross-cultural understanding among Californians of different backgrounds.
“Sports have the power to unite people across all backgrounds,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish. “By teaming up with the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Roots, we are underscoring our commitment to building a more inclusive California where everyone can feel safe and thrive. Engaging fans in conversations about what we can all do to combat hate allows us to make our communities stronger, safer, and more welcoming for all.”
The Giants are San Francisco’s Major League Baseball (MLB) team and the Roots are Oakland’s men’s soccer team that competes in the United Soccer League (USL).
California vs Hate is the state’s first-ever multilingual statewide hotline and online portal that provides a safe, anonymous reporting option for victims and witnesses of hate acts. By engaging sports fans, the collaboration underscores the idea that we can play on different teams but come together as Californians — rooted in respect, commonalities, and community pride.
This summer, California vs Hate will be present at select heritage and community celebration games at Oracle Park and the Oakland Coliseum, providing fans with resources on how to report hate acts and support victims. Attendees can stop by the California vs Hate table before and during select games to learn how to join the fight against hate in their communities. Fans can also enjoy a photo booth experience and spin a wheel to win promotional items. The teams will also showcase graphics and information throughout the venues about how to get in touch with the California vs Hate initiative.
“The Giants are honored to collaborate with California vs Hate to reinforce the values of inclusivity and respect for all,” said Tess Oliphant, Director of Community Relations at the San Francisco Giants. “Baseball has long been a unifying force in our country, and we are excited to leverage a number of our heritage nights as an opportunity to spread awareness and ensure that all fans feel safe and welcome at Oracle Park and beyond.”
A recent survey conducted by the CRD in partnership with the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research interviewed more than 20,000 households on health and hate related questions. The results showed an estimated 2.6 million Californians directly experienced at least one act of hate over the course of a year between 2022 and 2023. When broken down by race, the groups that most frequently experienced hate were Black (16%), Native American (13%), and Asian (9%).
“Through our work with CHIS, we’re also helping to show the impact of hate,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish. “These estimates make it clear that people across our state continue to experience hate and discrimination well beyond what is reported to law enforcement. It takes all of us working together to live up to our values of respect and compassion for every Californian.”
With reported hate crimes rising sharply across the country in recent years, California has continued to lead on counteracting it by investing in innovative programs focused on the problem.
“Oakland Roots SC believe in the power of sport as a force for social good,” said Nelda Kerr, Director of Community Engagement for the Oakland Roots. “We are proud to partner with California vs Hate because we all need to work together to combat hate in our community. We hope our matches can be a space to promote unity and dialogue with our fans and increase awareness of the CA vs Hate hotline as a powerful resource.”
* How To Report A Hate Crime:
CA vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hate crime and incident reporting hotline and online portal. Reports can be made anonymously by calling (833) 866-4283, or 833-8-NO-HATE, Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT or online at any time.
Hate acts can be reported in 15 different languages through the online portal and in over 200 languages when calling the hotline. For individuals who want to report a hate crime to law enforcement immediately or who are in imminent danger, please call 911.
For more information on CA vs Hate, please visit CAvsHate.org.
