Standing up, speaking out
We at the Los Angeles County Commission on Human Relations mourn the death of Heather Heyer and the lives damaged by the heinous act of violence of a white supremacist who plowed his car into a crowd of anti-hate protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the last weekend.
Our deepest sympathies go out to the families, friends and communities who are suffering directly from the trauma caused by this violence.
We condemn this tragedy for what it was: a blatant and ugly act of racism and domestic terrorism. We support calls for investigation into allegations of police inaction on that day so that it might be better understood how violent clashes could be prevented by police in the future.
We call upon all to not only condemn this violence, but to speak against the ugly racial hatred that fueled it. We also urge all people of Los Angeles County to have the courage to stand up and protect people and communities targeted by hate. We urge meaningful actions to support those who are subjected to hostility and prejudices. And we remind people of the need to educate ourselves and others about racist ideology and how it affects more than we know through our implicit unconscious biases, as well as our explicit prejudices.
Our Commission was born out of the aftermath of a wave of hate violence known as the Zoot Suit Riots, and we continue to this day to fulfill our mission to “transform prejudice into acceptance, inequity into justice, hostility into peace.” To join us in this important work, go to lahumanrelations.org.
We will soon release a report on the hate crimes reported in Los Angeles County in the post-election period. Please go to our website and provide us with your email address should you wish to be notified of this report once it is released.
County of Los Angeles
Workforce Development, Aging and Community Services
Office of External Communications
