The Coalition Against Hate (http://www.breakhate.net) announced today an effort to #breakhate and bring civil discourse back to the public square by holding purveyors of hate speech accountable and working with media platforms to abandon hate speech as a profit model.
The Equal Justice Society is a member of the newly-formed coalition, which includes 48 diverse groups, representing millions of Americans, including Latinos, immigrants, Muslims, LGBT individuals, Asian Americans, African Americans, American Indians and people of all faiths and walks of life.
Coalition members will work together to elevate personal stories from those affected by discriminatory rhetoric and push back on those who espouse and amplify hate speech.
“When I was a kid picking the fruits and vegetables in season up and down the state of California some signs read: ‘No Dogs or Mexicans Allowed.’ I thought those times were behind us, but here we are, 65 years later, having vulnerable communities attacked in the same racist and discriminatory way. The difference is that our communities can now stand up and challenge the hate mongers and break their hate speech and hate crimes,” said Alex Nogales, president and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition.
“The amount of hate speech in the mainstream is higher than we have ever seen it—a result of the actions taken by the Trump campaign,” said Heidi Beirich, intelligence projects director at the Southern Poverty Law Center. “Now we see these heinous views promoted by many of Trump’s appointees. The demonizing rhetoric of the campaign has boiled over into nearly 900 hate incidents since the election, a sad reality the SPLC has been tracking. We call on the media to report on these issues, hold the President Elect accountable for them, and to reject terms, like ‘alt-right,’ that simply rebrand white supremacy and provide cover to ideas that should have no toehold in our political system.”
“Throughout the campaign, President-elect Trump riled some of the darkest elements of America with a message of fear and hate toward immigrants and communities of color. Now emboldened by Trump’s victory, we have seen some of those elements carry forward his hateful message, committing heinous acts in his name. Trump has also stacked his inner circle with individuals who championed discriminatory race-based policies and even appointed some to top cabinet positions. That is not the America of 2016. We will not stand by with our communities under attack nor will we accept turning back the clock on equal treatment of all communities.
With our coalition partners, we will fight back against hate.” Karen Tumlin, legal director, National Immigration Law Center.
“It is now more important than ever for all concerned Americans, especially minorities, to stand united against hate. We must collectively protect the rights and freedoms of all people in America. We must empower our collective communities by providing a platform for them to share their stories and shape their narratives. This coalition of 48 organizations is a testament of the diversity and resiliency of the people in the United State. And the #breakhate campaign is an opportunity for all concerned Americans to unite and counter the hateful rhetoric many have faced throughout this election cycle” said Hussam Ayloush, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations–Los Angeles.
The Coalition Against Hate is comprised of faith groups, civil rights organizations and other non-profits that represent millions of Americans. Its mission is to #breakhate by elevating the voices of the impacted and holding purveyors of hate speech accountable.
Members include: 18 Million Rising; Alianza Americas; American Indians in Film and TV; Arab American Chamber of Commerce; Asian American Advancing Justice; Asian Pacific American Media Coalition; Brennan Center for Justice; Brotherhood Crusade; Center for American Progress; Center for Media Justice; CHIRLA; Color of Change; Common Cause; Council on American-Islamic Relations; Equal Justice Society; Free Press; Future of Music Coalition; GLAAD; HACU; Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE); HITN; Honduran & Central American Bronx Day Parade Inc.; Intersections International; Islamic Shura Council; Jewish Labor Committee Western Region; LatinoJusticePRLDEF; Latino Rebels; League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC); LGBT Center OC; Los Angeles Housing Community Investment Department; Media Action Network for Asian Americans (MANAA); Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF); Media Matters; Media Mobilizing Project; National Council of Asian Pacific Americans; the National Hispanic Media Coalition; National Immigration Law Center (NILC); National Institute for Latino Policy (NiLP); New York Immigration Coalition; O.C. Communities Organized for Responsible Development (OCCORD); OCA – Asian Pacific American Advocates; Public Knowledge; Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund (SALDEF); Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC); The Matthew Shepard Foundation; The National Fair Housing Alliance; United Church of Christ, OC Inc.; and Wind of the Spirit.
Learn more and support the effort at http://www.breakhate.net.