Leading Social Justice Organizations Announce Community Conversation Initiative
“Working together to confront hate – regardless of its source or target – is the only way forward,” insist National Urban League, Anti-Defamation League, UnidosUS, The Asian American Foundation, National Action Network
New York, NY, May 25, 2023 … Just over a year ago, we came together as our nation was mourning devastating losses in the horrific, hate-fueled attack in Buffalo. Together, we called for a national Summit on confronting hate and extremism. In our call to action, we urged, “[Our organizations] representing communities that have been targeted again and again – all understand that we are not safe until we all are safe and that we cannot fight hatred, violence, and white supremacy alone. Fighting this threat requires government, civil society, industry – the entire nation – to act.”
This week encapsulates both the progress we’ve made and the pain our communities continue to endure – we have marked a year since both Buffalo and the tragic shooting at Uvalde, TX; today we are marking three years since the horrific lynching of George Floyd; communities continue to reel from tragedies in Allen, TX, Monterey Park, CA, and so many more. The root problems underlying these tragic moments persist and threaten our communities every day. Yet, we’ll also soon mark a year of work since the United We Stand Summit, and today we witnessed the White House release the first ever National Strategy To Combat Antisemitism. So, as we mourn, we have much to be thankful for, even as we commit ourselves to continuing the work.
Over the coming weeks and months, together we will convene dialogues bringing together Jewish, Black, Asian, Latino and other vulnerable communities, including Jews of Color. Our goals are to build mutual understanding, counter extremism and address manifestations of bigotry and hatred within, across and impacting ethnic, racial and religious communities. We will create inclusive spaces in multiple cities for open and honest discussions so that we can continue to build relationships that will serve as a foundation for a united front against antisemitism, racism, and all forms of hate.
All of our communities know too well the pain and tragedy wreaked by hate-fueled and extremist violence. And all of us would spare the others’ communities of this knowledge if we could. Working together to confront hate – regardless of its source or target – is the only way forward.
We will come together in dialogue, knowing the conversations may be complicated and that solutions may seem elusive. But we will persist because we know that the things that unite us are much stronger than those who would seek to divide us. And we know beyond a doubt that none of our communities are safe until we all are.