Leadership Conference Education Fund and Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law announce new national initiative.
Today, the Leadership Conference Education Fund and the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law announced the launch of Communities Against Hate, an initiative of 11 prominent national organizations working together to address the disturbing spike in hate incidents across the United States.
As part of this initiative, the organizations are launching a database to bring visibility to hate incidents and helping victims and organizations obtain access to legal resources and social services through a resource hotline.
“Acts of hate not only devastate individuals, but also target entire communities, threatening to undermine the most basic tenets of our democracy. Now is the time for communities to come together to prevent these incidents from happening in the first place,” said Wade Henderson, president and CEO of The Leadership Conference Education Fund.
The hotline will serve as a resource for organizations and individuals working to combat hate in their communities. Through the hotline, trained staff and volunteers will provide access to legal resources, including pro bono attorneys when appropriate, and connections to mental health services or other community organizations and resources.
“Our nation stands at a crossroads. Together, we are working with community leaders, local organizations, philanthropy and law enforcement agencies to combat the scourge of hate and hate-inspired incidents now gripping the nation. We will work with partners across the country to prevent and improve the response to hate incidents,” said Kristen Clarke, president and executive director of the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
