Was Live Friday, Jan 17, 2025 | 11am PST
Related Coverage
- Story | Ethnic Minorities Face Rising Hate Crimes in Rural California
- Playlist | Highlights from this Briefing
Guest Speakers
- Kevin Kish, Director, CA Civil Rights Department
- Kim Stoll, Communications, Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians
- Gaonou Vang, Communications and Narrative Manager, at Hmong Innovating Politics (HIP)
- Marlene Thomas, Executive Director, Imperial Valley Social Justice Committee
Event Overview
In some parts of predominantly white rural California, ethnic minorities experience racism as an everyday fact of life – from hate speech and school yard bullying to facing discrimination in the workplace, housing, and more. Many report feeling too isolated from and distrustful of local government to report it.
Launched in May 2023, the state’s anti-hate hotline and resource network — CA vs Hate — is a new initiative providing a direct response to these concerns and the rise in recent years of reported hate crimes in California, which state data shows have nearly doubled since 2019.
Now, after almost two years into the state’s pioneering initiative to address the rise in hate crimes, how are ethnic minorities in rural communities faring and how can the state’s programs addressing hate bring greater support in these regions? Are there lessons learned for minority groups in other parts of rural America?
This briefing will share perspectives from the California Civil Rights Department, activists, and community leaders on how different ethnic minorities may experience hate in these rural areas, and how the state’s anti-hate initiatives can offer direct support to vulnerable populations.
Presented by Ethnic Media Services
Cover Image Credit: Canva Photos
