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Volume 11 No 4
United Against Hate. Org
On July 19, 2000, the Leadership Conference along with several family members of recent hate crime victims and civil rights advocates launched unitedagainsthate.org, a grassroots Internet campaign to promote passage of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
United Against Hate is a comprehensive public education and public policy project that has highlighted and helped to coordinate dozens of anti-hate events around the country and is also designed to promote a better understanding of how to leverage emerging technologies to advance social justice. The project calls on national leaders to address brutal acts of violence. It also provides knowledge and tools needed for advocacy, education and coalition building. Its success is based on its ability to convene civil rights coalition members online and on extensive outreach to the general public.
United Against Hate helped organize rallies and events across the country. Events in Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Seattle, and Washington D.C. brought together politicians, activists and victims creating a powerful tool in energizing grassroots efforts.
On August 9, 2000, United Against Hate hosted a rally in New York City in 2000. Speakers at the event included then-First Lady and Senate candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), as well several as other political public figures and social activists.
On August 10, 2000, in a display of unity and diversity, several hundred California residents came together at the Japanese American Community and Cultural Center Plaza to commemorate the hate-motivated fatal shooting of Filipino American Joseph Ileto, and the shootings of five victims of the North Valley Jewish Community Center that took place one year ago that day. Ismael Ileto, Joseph's brother, said, "We would like my brother to be remembered not as a hate crime victim, but for what his name now stands for: Join Our Struggle, Educate, Prevent Hate, Instill Love, Equality, Tolerance for Others (J.O.S.E.P.H. I.L.E.T.O)."
On November 3, 2000, the Leadership Conference received a special recognition award from the Department of Justice Community Relations Service Division (CRS), for the United Against Hate campaign. This award is presented to organizations for significant work in advancing the mission and strategic goal of the CRS to build peaceful communities.
"We are very proud of this award and the recognition it represents," said Wade Henderson, Executive Director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights. "Effective use of technology, particularly the Internet, is increasingly important if the pursuit for social and economic justice is to advance in the emerging Digital Society. The United Against Hate campaign will serve as a model for all our future educational and advocacy campaigns."
  
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