LOS ANGELES – LA vs Hate, the county’s anti-hate program, hosted the launch of United Against Hate Week in Los Angeles, welcoming LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and LA County District Attorney George Gascón, as well as coalition partners Not in Our Town, CA vs Hate, and Stop the Hate for their annual press conference. Partners, activists, organizations, schools, and communities joined the coalition to rally together and spread messages of hope and vigilance in the fight against hate.
United Against Hate Week (UAHW) is a call for local civic action to stop hate, discrimination, and implicit biases that negatively impact our diverse communities, neighborhoods, and cities. While the week has historically taken place in November, this year, UAHW organizers moved the campaign up to September in recognition of the UN International Day of Peace. This week of action supports communities across the country which have historically confronted the rise of hate and divisive rhetoric connected to elections.
“United Against Hate Week is a powerful reminder that everyone can do something to stand up to hate, and it starts with making a daily commitment to not allowing or perpetuating racism, homophobia, antisemitism, islamophobia, anti-Asian, anti-Black, or any form of hate that only serves to divide us,” said Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell. “Our work to end hate is a shared responsibility that we must take seriously. I encourage all residents to participate in their local United Against Hate Week events and visit LAvsHate.org to learn how to join LA County in standing up to hate every day.”
“The Stop the Hate program is a vital tool in tackling the rising tide of hate in California,” said AAPI Equity Alliance Program Director and California’s Stop the Hate Network’s Kiran Bhalla. “It puts statewide strength behind local, trusted, community-based resources, to support victims of hate and their families, and works through multi-racial coalitions to prevent hate in the long-run.”
Recent statistics underscore the alarming trend of hate incidents in California. Statewide, reported hate crimes have nearly doubled from 1,015 in 2019 to 1,970 in 2023. Following two years of double-digit increases, reported hate crimes in Los Angeles County grew 18% from 790 to 929, the second largest number in more than 20 years. These figures, compounded with the reality that hate crimes and incidents are typically underreported nationwide, underscore the urgent need to take action to protect and support targeted communities.
