California vs. Hate: One Year Anniversary Celebrated with Continued Commitment to Combat Hate

In a recent press conference held by the California Civil Rights Department, significant milestones and ongoing efforts in the fight against hate crimes and incidents across California were celebrated. The event marked the one-year anniversary of the launch of California vs. Hate, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing support, resources, and a reporting hotline for individuals and communities targeted by hate.

Kathleen Untalan

Observer Group Newspapers of Southern California, Inc.

In a recent press conference held by the California Civil Rights Department, significant milestones and ongoing efforts in the fight against hate crimes and incidents across California were celebrated. The event marked the one-year anniversary of the launch of California vs. Hate, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at providing support, resources, and a reporting hotline for individuals and communities targeted by hate.

The press conference commenced with Kevin Kish, Director of the California Civil Rights Department, expressing gratitude for the partners’ support and highlighting the achievements of California vs. Hate in its inaugural year. The program, which created a statewide hotline for reporting hate incidents and crimes, has directly supported over 1,000 individuals and received more than 2,000 contacts from the public seeking assistance. Notably, the hotline is not merely a reporting tool but a resource network connecting individuals with critical services such as legal aid, mental health support, and counseling.

“Nearly 80% of California’s counties have been represented in the reports that we’ve received, including all 10 of the state’s most populated counties. And in our first year, we’ve connected the folks who reported to more than 100 different types of services, including legal services, financial services, mental health support, care counseling, and many others,” Kish stated.

Reports to the hotline revealed alarming trends, with discriminatory treatment, verbal harassment, and derogatory slurs being the most common reasons cited. The majority of incidents occurred in residential areas, workplaces, and public facilities. Race and ethnicity emerged as the primary motivations behind reported hate incidents, with anti-Black bias being the most prevalent, followed by anti-Latino and anti-Asian biases.

Mina Fedor, founder of AAPI Youth Rising, shared a poignant personal journey, illustrating the urgent need for resources like California vs. Hate. Fedor recounted instances of anti-Asian hate during the pandemic and underscored the program’s role in empowering youth to address hate-based bullying and discrimination.

Eliana Kamowitz, acting director of the Office of Equity at the California Department of Social Services, highlighted the Stop the Hate program’s impact in funding critical services for hate crime victims. Kamowitz emphasized the program’s focus on prevention, intervention, and community empowerment, noting its role in reaching thousands of Californians through direct and indirect services.

Ariel Bustamante, Senior Manager of Capacity Building at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, reiterated the importance of California vs. Hate in supporting LGBTQ+ individuals facing hate-motivated incidents. Bustamante emphasized the center’s commitment to providing culturally responsive resources and services to LGBTQ+ communities across California.

Linda Gledhill, Executive Officer for the California Victim Compensation Board, highlighted the board’s role in aiding victims of violent crime, including hate crimes, by covering expenses such as medical treatment, mental health services, and relocation. Last year, the board processed 39,000 applications and paid nearly $47 million to victims.

Gledhill emphasized the board’s partnership with state and community organizations to provide comprehensive support to victims, ensuring they have access to necessary services through any state department. She urged victims of hate crimes to utilize the California vs. Hate hotline for support.

Rebecca Wendt, Deputy State Librarian, also spoke, emphasizing the State Library’s commitment to preserving community stories and supporting victims of hate crimes. She highlighted the State Library’s ethnic media outreach grants, which raise awareness about available resources and reduce stigma around reporting hate incidents. The grants target California’s diverse communities, including Asian, Latino, Black, Native American, and LGBTQ+ populations, ensuring they know about and can access essential services.

Regina Brown Wilson, the Executive Director of California Black Media, expressed gratitude to state and community partners for their collaborative efforts in addressing rising hate in California. Highlighting the pivotal role of organizations like California Black Media in reaching diverse communities, Wilson underscored the immeasurable impact of their work in combating hate crimes.

Wilson emphasized the strategic utilization of federal and state resources, including support from the California Department of Civil Rights and the California State Library Ethic Media Grants, in advancing the common goal of reporting and reducing hate crimes. She credited the California vs. Hate initiative as a national model in this regard.

The initiative, funded through a federal grant from the U.S. Department of Justice, supports the Hate Line Resource Hotline and Resource Center, enabling expanded outreach efforts and the production of impactful content. Brown Wilson highlighted the initiative’s focus on cross-cultural engagement and collaboration among ethnic media outlets to improve communications and build a pan-ethnic communications infrastructure.

Russell Roybal, Chair of the Commission on the State of Hate, underscored the commission’s role in monitoring hate activity, developing policy recommendations, and supporting targeted communities. Roybal emphasized the importance of California vs. Hate as a vital resource for individuals and communities targeted for hate, providing essential support beyond law enforcement reporting channels.

Becky Monroe, Deputy Director of the California Department of Civil Rights, addressed concerns about the effectiveness of the initiative in reaching diverse communities and combating hate speech targeting marginalized groups. Monroe emphasized the collaborative efforts with ethnic media outlets, highlighting their role as trusted messengers in reaching communities often overlooked by mainstream media.

Monroe outlined the initiative’s care coordination services, which provide follow-up support for individuals reporting hate incidents, including connections to counseling, legal aid, and other resources. She acknowledged the challenges in accurately identifying hotspots of hate activity but emphasized ongoing efforts to improve data collection and analysis.

The press conference concluded with a call to action for Californians to stand united against hate and extremism, reaffirming the state’s commitment to creating a more inclusive and compassionate society for all residents.

For further information and support, individuals are encouraged to visit https://www.cavshate.org/ or call 833-8-NO-HATE.