By Rebecca Amadi As we approach the end of August, we remember Charlottesville activist Heather Heyer and reflect on the past three years since her death. The Unite the Right Rally took place in Charlottesville, Virginia on August 11th and August 12th, 2017. The rally, organized by white nationalist Richard Spencer, empowered neo Nazis, far right militia groups, and white supremacists to take to the streets in an open display of hostility. The rally proved that the alt-right is not
By Nadia Owusu The issues of police brutality and excessive force have been amplified across the country since the tragic death of George Floyd. While the issues are decades-old, there is renewed pressure on national, state, and local officials to establish reforms and to change the current policing culture. Just like many cities across the United States, Baltimore has been plagued by corruption and tomfoolery within law enforcement.. The contradicting failures in Black communities are that they have been both
The James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop Hate applauds Georgia for taking an historic step to address bias-motivated crimes by enacting a state hate crime law, House Bill 426. The bill was signed into law by Governor Kemp earlier today. In late February, Ahmaud Arbery, a young Black man was out jogging when he was chased, shot, and killed by white men in Glynn County. Evidence now shows that this crime was motivated by bias against Black Americans. After shooting Arbery
On June 16th 2020, The James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop Hate held the ‘Advocacy in the Wake of Hate’ webinar that included special guests Dawn and Richard Collins (parents of the late 2nd Lt. Richard Collins III), Louvon Byrd Harris (sister of the late James Byrd Jr.), and Professor Frank Wu (President of Queens College). These guests have all been directly impacted by white supremacist violence. They each shared their stories and how they have been able to advocate
As thousands of protesters take to the streets to demand justice for victims of police brutality, the last thing many are thinking about is protecting their digital privacy. Without taking certain precautions, you may be subject to surveillance by law enforcement and federal officials. We encourage you take a moment to read our Tips for Protecting Your Communication While Protesting to educate yourself on ways to stay safe while marching for change.
By Rebecca Amadi As the coronavirus spreads, anti-Asian bias has increased across the country with hate crimes, harassment, and bullying reported in many states. Unfortunately, rather than using the presidential bully pulpit to condemn COVID-19 related hate crimes, the Trump Administration has perpetuated and legitimized this xenophobia against Asian Americans and immigrants. As COVID-19 began to spread across the country in March, President Trump was adamant in referring to the virus as the “China virus” or the “Chinese virus.” He
By Mike Charla White supremacists’ ability to metastasize across the internet is not a new skill. Early in the internet’s infancy, we bore witness to the proliferation of virtual hate by way of white supremacist websites, ranging from “news” outlets to “white only” dating sites, that popped up with regularity during the early ‘90s. While not every site was successful, organizations like Stormfront, founded in 1996, were able to find their footing by creating online forums that allowed the organization to
Accurate information about COVID-19 is essential to protecting people and saving lives. Unfortunately, mingled in with expert opinions and government warnings, bad actors are promoting incendiary narratives aimed at spreading disinformation to the general public. Misinformation in the age of the COVID-19 virus is dangerous and has already contributed to a sharp rise in hate incidents, both online and in communities across the country. We encourage you to take a moment to read our Debunking COVID-19 Myths to educate
By Mike Charla On March 8th the James Byrd Jr. Center to Stop Hate braved the northeast cold once again to conduct a hate crimes training for law enforcement officers at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. The event came a few weeks after the Byrd Center conducted their largest training to date in nearby Southbridge, MA. Both trainings were day long symposiums that educated attendees on current state and federal hate crime statutes, ways to conduct mindful and appropriate hate crime investigations, and
By Cindy Chen On October 8th, the LGBT community waited in suspense as the Supreme Court of the United States heard cases on an issue that has lasting implications for millions of Americans: whether it was legal to fire a person based on their gender identity or sexual orientation. This isn’t the first time the rights of the LGBT community have been called into question. The Supreme Court has weighed in on similar cases in the past. Each case had major implications for the
