Page 81 - Javanan Magazine Issue # 1901

ISSUE No. 1901
JAVANAN
From films to counseling — how California is spending $90 million to fight hate

Many of our readers asked us about how the Stop the Hate campaign came to be. Here’s
By: Felicia Mello after 2020’s Black Lives Matter pro- an article from calmatters.org that provides some insight and info about the organiza-
tests.
.tions that help prevent hate crimes or support survivors in California
Social media provides “a 24-7
California recently awarded $91 swap meet of hate,” he said. “We’re
million in grants to local organiza- having a significant increase in hate
tions that help prevent hate crimes crimes, and hate crimes are getting
or support survivors, part of an un- more violent. But we’re also having
precedented effort to combat hate more reporting, particularly in cer-
in a state that saw a 20% increase in tain areas.”
such crimes in 2022. Hate crimes are notoriously diffi-
Despite its progressive reputation, cult to track. Survivors often don’t
California last year reported steep report them, and local law enforce-
increases in hate crimes against ment agencies vary in how well they
transgender people (up 55%), Mus- monitor them and how much they
lims (up 39%) and Black people report to state and federal authori-
(up 27%), according to the Attorney ties.
General’s office. California’s grants aim to help
That growth outpaced similar hate reduce or respond to hate crimes,
growth trends in 42 major cities, ac- and to incidents that may not rise to
cording to a soon to be released the level of a crime but nevertheless
study by Cal State San Bernardino’s take a toll on an individual or com-
Center for the Study of Hate and Ex- munity.
tremism. Anti-transgender hate
The state’s latest Stop the Hate Terra Russell-Slavin, chief impact
grants bring its non-law enforce- officer at the Los Angeles LGBT
ment anti-hate spending to more Center, said that center is receiv- victims in 2022, according to the cent round of grants to fund organi-
than $200 million since 2021, more ing more hate mail than in the past Attorney General’s office. Yet or- zations that reflect
than any other state, advocates say. and recently experienced a credible ganizations focused on the Black California’s diversity, said Manju-
The grants will go to more than bomb threat. community appear to be receiving sha Kulkarni, executive director of
170 community groups at a time “There definitely is increased fear a fraction of the grants the state is AAPI Equity Alliance, the lead or-
when the state is experiencing a among the community,” she said, disbursing. ganization distributing grants in the
steady clip in high-profile hate in- adding that the rise in reported hate One group, the Black Youth Lead- Los Angeles region. (The Califor-
cidents — from the August mur- crimes against transgender people, ership Project in Elk Grove, a Sacra- nia Department of Social Services
der of a Southern California store while troubling, is not surprising. mento suburb, will use its Stop the awards the grants.)
owner who flew a rainbow flag, and “This is part of a nationally coor- Hate funds to provide mental health California’s declining Black
the recent evacuation of an Oak- dinated attack against our commu- services — from art therapy to sup- population may have depressed the
land elementary school after a rac- nity, and it’s very much targeted at port groups — to Black children number of Black-led organizations
ist bomb threat, to the fiery debates transgender people and particularly who experience racism in school, applying for and receiving funding,
over rights of transgender students trans youth issues,” she said, add- said Lorreen Pryor, its president. Kulkarni said.
at various school boards. ing that anti-transgender rhetoric by The organization often mediates Some grants will address work-
California in the past year created elected officials “has been field-test- between schools and outraged par- place hate. The NAACP’s Cali-
a commission to study the state of ed, and frankly it feels like attacking ents, advocating for administrators fornia Hawaii State Conference is
hate and set up a hotline for people the transgender community is help- to take parents’ concerns seriously. sponsoring legal consultations for
to report incidents to its Civil Rights ing rally their base.” School bias can range from a teach- people experiencing discrimination
Department. The state also put to- Equality California, an LGBTQ er using the N-word in class to a on the job or in housing. And San
gether a team of mediators to ad- civil rights organization, received a Black student being disciplined for Francisco-based PRC, which helps
dress conflicts in communities. wave of phone calls at the start of behavior that is tolerated from other Black transgender women reenter
‘Swap meet of hate’ pride festival season from people or- students, she said. the workforce, is using its grant to
Both Sacramento and Los Ange- ganizing such events in small towns She added she was surprised make a film about its clients’ quest
les saw record levels of hate crimes wondering if it was safe, said pro- to discover that hers was the only to overcome stigma and find jobs.
in 2022, according to the study by gram director Erin Arendse. Black-led group on a conference Another documentary, produced
the Center for the Study of Hate and Equality California is using its call of organizations consulting on by teen filmmakers, will chronicle
Extremism, which independently $630,000 state grant to create a rapid the state’s hate hotline.
analyzes data from local law en- response network that can send staff “We have to focus on the group the impact of hate crimes on im-
forcement agencies. and resources to local communities that is most impacted, and that hap- migrant and refugee communities
Researchers say that while the when issues arise – such as when a pens to be Black people,” Pryor in San Diego. Somali Family Ser-
state’s reported hate crime num- school board is deciding on policies said. “And until they do that, it’s all vice, the non-profit spearheading
bers appear to be dipping slightly that would out transgender students for naught.” the project, said it could empower
in 2023, the upcoming presidential or ban rainbow flags in classrooms. Early focus on anti-Asian hate other refugee communities and in-
election is likely to turn up the tem- “We want to make sure they un- California originally created the spire policymakers to think about
perature even more. derstand these policies,” Arendse Stop the Hate grants in response to solutions.
“We are very concerned about said, “both in terms of how it im- a surge in anti-Asian hate incidents Most Middle Eastern and North
an increase next year,” said Brian pacts an individual student and how reported during the Covid-19 pan- African teenagers the organization
Levin, a study author and member it turns up the temperature of anti demic. The coalition Stop AAPI serves have experienced or wit-
of the 9-month-old Commission on transgender and LGBTQ sentiment Hate has documented more than nessed hate incidents, said Rachel
the State of Hate. He told fellow and indicates that it’s OK to discrim- 11,000 such incidents nationwide Evans, the group’s youth program
commissioners last month: “Main- inate against this group of people.” since 2020. manager. Many tell her they stay
stream politics has gotten not only Black Californians most often af- Gov. Newsom signed the Asian home from school on September 11,
more tribal, but also more bigoted.” fected Pacific Islander Equity budget in hoping to avoid the racist and anti-
Levin said in an interview with In California and nationwide, 2021 funding the grants at the urg- Muslim taunts that have come from
CalMatters that hate crimes his- Black people and communities are ing of the state’s Asian American students, teachers and administra-
torically rise in response to political the most frequent target of reported and Pacific Islander Legislative tors on that day.
speech and current events. But in hate crimes, data show. Caucus. Early grants primarily went Read more at the this link:
recent years such spikes have lasted Black people represented 6% of to organizations serving that com- https://calmatters.org/california-
longer, such as when anti-Black California’s population but about munity. divide/2023/09/hate-crimes-califor-
crimes remained elevated months 30% of its reported hate crime The state broadened its most re- nia/
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