United Against Hate Week 2024 Action Highlights

Not In Our Town (NIOT) is proud to collaborate with communities nationwide for United Against Hate Week (UAHW)

Partner sponsors include: NIOT, CAvsHate, LAvsHate, and the Stop the Hate Program in California.

United Against Hate Week is a call for local civic action by people in every community to stop the hate and bias that are dangerous to the safety and civility of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities.  Learn more about how UAH Week began below and find information on events, and resources for action at unitedagainsthateweek.org.

During UAH Week in September 2024. hundreds of communities, cities, schools:  

a) raised awareness about the harm of hate and the need for local action, 

b) highlighted the need for hate crime reporting and ways for people who are targeted to get support,

 c) created an opportunity for local leaders to initiate anti-hate activities that promote belonging for all 

d) provided a way for community members to build connections and relationships. 

Events: Through 131 documented events in 92 cities listed on the website, UAHW mobilized thousands of participants. The events ranged from hate crime trainings, community resource fairs to film screenings, poetry slams, neighborhood meet ups and panel discussions addressing the root causes of hate. Millions were reached with anti-hate messaging through email blasts and social media posts from cities, counties, faith groups and community organizations. UAH Week has been locally driven and resources since its inception. There is tremendous room for growth moving forward, but the breadth of engagement from local organizations, civic leaders, and residents highlights the growing awareness and dedication to fighting hate. 

Origins: United Against Hate Week was launched in 2018 by elected leaders, staff, and community groups from 13 cities in the Bay Area and a “United Against Hate” poster campaign in response to white supremacists marching in Northern California streets in the aftermath of Charlottesville. The Mayor of Berkeley and his chief of staff knew that residents would want to find a way to respond to the hate that could register a broad-scale anti-hate message. The posters spread across the Bay Area.  A few months later, Not In Our Town (NIOT) invited city leaders to our office in Downtown Oakland to ask what they wanted to do next. The first  United Against Hate Week in November 2018 emerged from that engagement. 

Six years later, there is much to report about how the campaign spread. United Against Hate Week (UAHW) saw a remarkable expansion across California,  and the adoption of events across the U.S. has solidified this awareness campaign as a pivotal week of action against hate.

The partnership with the County of Los Angeles' LAvsHate campaign played a pivotal role in expanding United Against Hate Week (UAHW) in Southern California. This growth was further accelerated by the involvement of the State of California Civil Rights Department's anti-hate program, CAvsHate, which joined as a partner several years later. Collaborations with city leaders facilitated widespread promotion through county municipal leagues, helping UAHW gain momentum at the local government level. Not In Our Town (NIOT) leveraged its long-standing relationships with a nationwide network of cities, federal and regional government entities and civic groups. This year, U.S. Attorney's Offices (USAOs) embraced UAHW through the DOJ's United Against Hate Initiative, further amplifying the campaign's impact and reach nationwide.

Some Unique Event Success Stories: 

• In a powerful display of solidarity and community commitment, the Santa Clara County Valley Transit Authority (VTA) created a special United Against Hate Week bus wrap. This impactful initiative not only spread awareness across the region but also held deep significance for the VTA workforce, who experienced the deadliest mass shooting in Bay Area History in 2021. The participation of VTA workers in this year's United Against Hate Week underscores the strength and resilience of the community, making their engagement a meaningful contribution to promoting unity and standing against hate.

• Redwood City featured various community-building events, including the "Meet Your Neighbors" gathering, screening of the powerful film Flee, and a Voices of Unity celebration. Local activities also included Bystander Intervention training and a multicultural teen intervention program.

• The Commonwealth Club of San Francisco hosted a full-day event dedicated to United Against Hate and responding to hate crimes, featuring key figures like Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguin and Marin District Attorney Lori Frugoli.

• Mill Valley organized a film screening and panel discussion, as well as the "United by Love Youth Art Initiative," which actively involved local youth in promoting unity and inclusion through creative expression.

• Radio Bilingüe KHDC Youth Radio Producers of the Alza Tu Voz / Speak Out program promoted anti-hate messages and raised awareness about hate crimes and bias prevention at the Artist Alley Block Party in Salinas. Their efforts led to 50 individuals signing the "I Stand Against Hate" pledge!

• LGBTQ+ Solidarity Gatherings in Manhattan Beach highlighted the vital importance of standing with marginalized communities in the aftermath of hate incidents, developing norms of support and unity within the local community.

• San Rafael displayed a United Against Hate Week banner on the main street in downtown and distributed posters and materials at local firehouses and city hall to spread awareness and engage the community in the campaign.

• Chico and Butte County partnered with local media outlet Action News Now and local Cinemark theaters to publicize United Against Hate Week in Northern California, developing anti-bullying PSAs to help youth become upstanders in their communities.

• In Lehigh Valley, the US Attorney’s Office partnered with local public television station WLVT to host a screening of Repairing the World, followed by a panel discussion co-sponsored by Jewish, Muslim, and Black community groups, fostering cross-community dialogue on combating hate.

• Las Vegas hosted a United Against Hate Week event featuring a film screening, student art exhibition, and Unity Walk, co-sponsored by the USAO, Attorney General of Nevada, District of Nevada, and College of Southern Nevada, demonstrating strong collaboration in addressing hate.

• Cook County hosted a screening of The Upstanders, a documentary on online bullying and harassment among U.S. teens. The event included a panel discussion with local mental health experts, educators, and students, moderated by Cook County Commissioner Scott Britton, encouraging a community-wide response to support youth against online hate.

• The South Florida USAO and Cook County Commission also held hate crime training sessions for law enforcement and community leaders, focusing on strategies to better address and prevent hate crimes in their respective communities.

United Against Hate Week 2024: A Year of Impact, Growth, and Expansion

Events: With 131 documented events across 92 cities, UAHW successfully mobilized thousands of participants. These events ranged from community resource fairs to film screenings, poetry slams, and panel discussions addressing the root causes of hate. The breadth of engagement from local organizations, civic leaders, and residents highlights the growing awareness and dedication to fighting hate. 

Widespread Local Participation: UAHW expanded its footprint significantly, with 92 cities listing event participation. Local governments and organizations embraced UAHW as an opportunity to address hate locally, often hosting town halls, resource fairs, and public art displays to foster unity. Entry points for engagement varied. Nineteen city clerks facilitated outreach to city departments and elected officials, making it easier for governments to engage directly with their communities and raise awareness about anti-hate efforts. Cities hosted week-long activities that were featured on municipal websites and social media. The California Library Association and libraries across the state were gathering points for 25 events, hosted readings and book club events with featured UAHW content. Newly engaged communities included Las Vegas, which hosted multiple events, and Salt Lake City, which presented its first city proclamation promoting anti-hate values.

Law Enforcement: Fourteen U.S. Attorney's Offices presented UAH Week events.  From a Unity Walk in Las Vegas to Film screenings and hate crime trainings in Wyoming, Florida, Illinois, and nearly a dozen more, events emphasized partnerships with local communities experiencing hate crimes. The DOJ COPS Office The FBI CJIS  hosted a series of events for UAH Week for the first time this year.

Stop the Hate Grantee Involvement: This year, 22 California Stop the Hate (STH) Grantees expanded United Against Hate Week's reach and made a significant impact by centering marginalized communities in their local actions. For example, The Fresno Center partnered with Fresno Interdenominational Refugee Ministries (FIRM) to host a Block Party celebrating unity, diversity, and inclusion. The event included a Unity Walk, where the community came together to stand against hate. In their first UAHW collaboration, Community Matters shared critical resources with schools across California, promoting anti-hate education at the grassroots level. The involvement of these grantees highlighted the effectiveness of localizing the anti-hate message and demonstrated the capacity to reach and engage vulnerable populations statewide. This collaboration significantly amplified the impact of UAHW and showed the strength of collective action in communities experiencing heightened hate incidents.

Messaging Through Media: UAHW's anti-hate pro-belonging messages extended well beyond in-person events through strategic media partnerships that significantly broadened its audience. Radio Bilingüe's youth radio producers took a central role in raising awareness about hate crimes at the Artist Alley Block Party in Salinas, CA, engaging on-site participants and listeners across the region through on-air discussions. In Alameda County, Radio B'alam's Voces Maya team conducted a powerful interview with a Mam-speaking victims' advocate from the District Attorney's Office, focusing on available support services for hate crime victims. The interview aired live to over 70,000 listeners, reaching a diverse, often underrepresented audience of indigenous Maya communities. Lao Family Community Development also launched the Get Loud Podcast, which tackled misconceptions about AAPI groups and sparked meaningful conversations about hate prevention. All three organizations reshared their content through social media, further amplifying their messages and extending the influence of UAHW across digital platforms. These media efforts illustrate the growing capacity of UAHW participants to spread anti-hate messages far beyond local events, reaching broader audiences virtually and encouraging dialogue around hate prevention right in people's homes.

Are you ready for UAH Week 2025?  Start now with these resources on 

unitedagainsthateweek.org

• The 2024 Community Action Toolkit
• Film Guide for Participants
• How to Report a Hate Crime
• Tools for Libraries
• Posters for cities and schools 
• A Shared Event Calendar to Host all UAHW activities
• Videos for Promoting UAH Week

Download Resources on how to take action and how to report hate. 

With over 100 events, numerous city engagements, and over a million messages spreading the awareness campaign, UAHW 2024 showed the power of locally driven action in combating hate.  

How can your community unite against hate during a week of action and every day?  As many of this year's participants showed, the work towards a more inclusive and tolerant community continues! Please stay in touch and share your actions and ideas!