Human Relations Commission Discusses Convening Community Forum During ‘United Against Hate Week’

The Human Relations Commission is planning to hold a community forum in November to mark ‘United Against Hate week.’ 

In July 2018, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors passed a motion to protect vulnerable communities in LA County from hate crime. Included in the motion was direction for the Commission on Human Relations to create and launch a multi-year public outreach anti-hate campaign.

The LA vs Hate Anti Hate Initiative launched the inaugural LA County United Against Hate Week –  a call to action to cities and towns to join together to stop the rise in hate crimes that impact the safety of communities, from November 30 – December 6.

“I was thinking that during the LA vs Hate week, that we can definitely do a community forum about anti-hate,” Commissioner Brandon Lamar said at the Commission meeting on Tuesday. 

Lamar suggested (tapping as one of speakers), a representative from Western Justice Center and a representative from the Pasadena Police Department. 

He also suggested holding the forum at The Maxwell House, an historic landmark event space at 55 S. Grand Avenue in West Pasadena.

Commissioner Sandy Greenstein suggested inviting a youth speaker and giving them a chance to speak spontaneously at the forum, saying that the event must not be entirely a passive experience where people will only come and listen.

“I think it would be interesting if we could have maybe a couple of representatives of organizations that work with at-risk youth or youth in conflict to invite some youth to talk about what kind of experiences of bullying and hate they have encountered in our community,” Greenstein said. 

“It would be a way for us to have some youth participation,” she added. 

The commission did not take any formal action on the agenda item.