What can you do to help fight hate crimes in Illinois?

by Leslie Lina Paluch, Policy and Advocacy Manager
YWCA Evanston/North Shore

The 20th annual Ricky Byrdsong Race Against Hate is Sunday, June 16, but the work continues year round. Below are a just a few ways that you can take action now to help prevent and address hate incidents and crime in Illinois:

Call upon your local law enforcement agency to prioritize the identification and investigation of hate-based incidents and crimes in your community, including calling upon law enforcement to:

- devote sufficient resources and personnel towards investigating hate-based incidents and crimes
- strengthen their systems for collecting data on hate-based incidents and crimes
- adopt and enforce internal policies mandating the reporting of all hate-based incidents and crimes to the FBI
- adopt and enforce internal policies protecting the confidentiality of any person who reports hate-based incidents or crimes (including that person’s immigration status)
- provide their officers with periodic and robust training on recognizing and responding to hate-based incidents and crimes in your community.

Report hate-based incidents and crimes that you witness or experience personally – as well as encouraging others to do so. For example, in addition to reaching out to local police via 911, the Cook County Sheriff’s Office hosts a 24/7 hotline for reporting discrimination and hate crime incidents at 773-674-HELP(4357). You can also share your experience via a nationwide hate hotline at 1-844-9-NO-HATE or online at https://communitiesagainsthate.org/report.

Educate yourself, your family, your friends, and neighbors on your rights as well as current hate-based research and initiatives by following organizations focused on tracking, preventing, and combating hate, including by exploring: