Community
Hate Crimes Increased by 159% Over Last Decade, According to New DOJ Report
The California Department of Justice (DOJ) released its 2023 Hate Crimes report in late June revealing that while some years had drops in crime including between 2022 and 2023, overall hate crimes rose by 159% since 2013.
By Magaly Muñoz
The California Department of Justice (DOJ) released its 2023 Hate Crimes report in late June revealing that while some years had drops in crime including between 2022 and 2023, overall hate crimes rose by 159% since 2013.
A hate crime is defined as a criminal act or attempted criminal act against an individual or group because of their actual or perceived race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or disability.
The DOJ is required to collect and review hate crime cases on a regular basis, and publish that data in an annual report. The data is evaluated and investigated only by crimes that are reported to law enforcement, so the data may appear different from other agencies who collect this information.
Underreporting of hate crimes is a larger issue across the country because many people often do not know that they are a victim or do not feel safe reporting to the authorities.
The DOJ data showed several increases and decreases over various sets of points.
Hate crime events involving a racial bias decreased 21.6% from 1,298 in 2022 to 1,017 in 2023. Anti-Black bias events fell from 652 in 2022 to 518 events in 2023. Anti-other ethnicity events fell 50% from 96 reports in 2022 to 48 in 2023.
But hate crimes involving sexual orientation, gender and religion increased overall since last year.
Hate crime events about sexual orientation bias increased from 391 in 2022 to 405 in 2023. Anti-LGBTQ+ bias events rose an astounding 86% from 81 to 151 in the same year.
Anti-religion hate crimes rose 30% from 303 to 394 in one year. Anti-Jewish bias rose over 50% from 189 reports to 289 in 2023 and anti-Muslim events rose from 25 to 40 in that same timeframe.
Bay Area counties as a collective also saw variations in reports of hate crime since 2022.
San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Sonoma were the only counties that saw slight drops in hate crime reports from 2022 to 2023.
Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, and Solano all saw small to significant increases in that time frame. Napa went from 2 reports to 10; Marin increased from 8 to 21; and San Francisco saw an increase of 41 reports to 64.
California offers a resource line that uses community-centered and culturally competent approaches in order to assist a victim that has experienced a hate crime. Victims can report a hate crime using an online form-available in 15 languages- at CAvsHate.org or by calling 833-8NO-HATE (833-866-4283) – also available in 200 languages.
This resource was supported in whole or in part by funding provided by the State of California, administered by the California State Library via California Black Media as part of the Stop the Hate program. The program is supported by partnership with the California Department of Social Services and the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs. To report a hate incident or hate crime and get support, go to https://www.cavshate.org/
Activism
LIVE! — TOWN HALL ON RACISM AND ITS IMPACT — THURS. 11.14.24 5PM PST
Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024, 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST
Join us for a LIVE Virtual Town Hall on the Impact of Racism hosted by Post News Group Journalist Carla Thomas and featuring Oakland, CA NAACP President Cynthia Adams & other Special Guests.
Thursday, November 14, 2024
5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. PST
Discussion Topics:
• Since the pandemic, what battles have the NAACP fought nationally, and how have they impacted us locally?
• What trends are you seeing concerning Racism? Is it more covert or overt?
• What are the top 5 issues resulting from racism in our communities?
• How do racial and other types of discrimination impact local communities?
• What are the most effective ways our community can combat racism and hate?
Your questions and comments will be shared LIVE with the moderators and viewers during the broadcast.
STREAMED LIVE!
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/PostNewsGroup
YOUTUBE: youtube.com/blackpressusatv
X: twitter.com/blackpressusa
Activism
Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024
The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024
To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.
#NNPA BlackPress
OP-ED: The Illusion of Allyship. White Women, Your Yard Signs Mean Nothing to Me
NNPA NEWSWIRE – “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.
Political yard signs can symbolize intentions and allegiance. But this year, they’ve also symbolized betrayal. During this general election, Black women were led to believe that more White women would stand with us. Exit polls, however, told a different story. Despite overwhelming displays of support, more White women still chose to vote for the convicted felon, reality TV star, and rapist. White women answered the call but left us hanging at the polls.
A Familiar Disappointment
I live in DeKalb County, Georgia, and the abundance of Harris-Walz yard signs could’ve fooled me. But I’ve seen this before, back when Stacey Abrams ran for governor. White women showed up, put up signs, attended rallies, knocked on doors, and phone-banked. Yet, when it came time to vote, they let us down—not once but twice. I’ve been here for over 15 years, and if there’s one thing I know, it’s that political signs are symbols without weight.
In every election, I’ve talked with White women. Most aren’t the primary earners in their families and vote along party lines, aligning with the preferences of their fathers and husbands. These conversations reveal a reluctance to break from tradition, even when their votes affect women and certainly when their votes impact the lives of people who look like me.
The Illusion of Solidarity—Symbols Are Not Enough
On social media, I’m seeing White women posting pictures of blue bracelets to “prove” they didn’t vote for Trump. “The blue bracelets are something White women are wearing so others can see that they didn’t vote for Trump,” says Liberal Lisa from Oklahoma on X. Chile, bye. These bracelets are hollow symbols, empty gestures that mean nothing to me. An accessory to claim distance from Trump’s legacy is superficial comfort, while the choice to not stand with us in the voting booth is far more profound.
I’ve seen Black Lives Matter signs and black squares posted on Instagram to “prove” support for Black people, but we now know that was a lie, too. Will those same people who claimed Black lives mattered now take down their Harris-Walz signs and show their true selves?
Navigating these truths is a daily struggle for me—professionally and socially. White women often misuse their privilege, supporting us only when it’s convenient. Seeing overqualified Black women sabotaged or abandoned by White women at critical moments is a constant emotional challenge. It’s exhausting to live with this reality, especially when solidarity seems like something they pick up and discard at will.
One clever campaign ad from Harris-Walz that spoke directly to White women. “Your Vote, Your Choice” emphasized that their vote was private—independent of their household situation. Another was from Olivia Howell Dreizen, the “Vote Without Fear” campaign, which empowered women to consider the greater impact of their choices. But it seems many still couldn’t choose the roadmap to freedom—even when it was handed to them.
A Call for Action Beyond Words
White women, I want to believe you care, but actions speak louder than yard signs, bracelets, or Instagram posts. Show up in our communities, advocate in your workplaces, and stand up to dismantle the structures that uphold white supremacy. Only through real action will we know where you stand.
If you choose not to act, we see you—and we know exactly where you stand. Good luck these next four years.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of BlackPressUSA.com or the National Newspaper Publishers Association.
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