Civil Rights Department Announces Summit to Advance Unity and Confront Hate

SACRAMENTO – Today, the California Civil Rights Department (CRD) formally announced the California Civil Rights Summit, a full-day convening focused on confronting hate and advancing community-driven solutions across the state. Taking place at The Commonwealth Club of World Affairs in San Francisco, the nation’s oldest and largest public forum, the summit will reflect on both the successes and ongoing challenges in addressing hate.

“This summit is about turning experience into action and moving from conversation to impact,” said CRD Director Kevin Kish. “It brings Californians together across differences for honest dialogue, shared learning, and practical tools to respond to hate and strengthen belonging. Through dialogue, storytelling, and art, we’re not just reflecting on the problem — we’re equipping people with tools they can take back and use in their own communities. With California vs Hate’s coalition of trusted partners, we’ve built a strong foundation, and this is about deepening and expanding that work across the state.”

At a time when Californians continue to be impacted by hate, the summit will bring together community leaders, organizers, artists, and elected officials for a day of dialogue, learning, and collective action. The event will spotlight California’s response to hate, including the Commission on the State of Hate, California vs Hate, a first-of-its-kind statewide network providing safe, accessible, and culturally competent support, and Stop the Hate, a program that has directly funded community-based services for survivors and prevention efforts across the state.

“California has invested heavily in community-driven solutions to prevent hate crimes, support victims, and build a culture of belonging,” said California Department of Social Services Director Jennifer Troia. “The Stop the Hate program has strengthened prevention efforts across the state by investing in community-based organizations and prioritizing the multilingual professionals who provide services.”

New data underscores the urgency of this work. According to the 2024 California Health Interview Survey, roughly 3.1 million Californians experienced at least one hate act in the past year. Many reported lasting impacts to their mental health, financial stability, and sense of safety. The California Civil Rights Summit aims to address these challenges by fostering dialogue on existing and new solutions, elevating community voices, and connecting attendees with tools and resources to take action in response to hate.

Programming will include conversations with leading voices in the anti-hate movement, sharing personal stories of resilience, advocacy, and community protection, alongside discussions on how policy, grassroots organizing, and community power can work together to prevent hate. Sessions will also explore the role of culture, storytelling, and identity in challenging hate and building belonging, as well as offer practical tools for navigating division and strengthening cross-community understanding. The summit will be emceed by podcast host, activist, and musician Hector Flores of the acclaimed band Las Cafeteras.

Program highlights include:

• Conversations on California’s response to hate, bringing together leaders in policy, advocacy, arts, and sports, featuring TransLatin@ Coalition President Bamby Salcedo, Oakland Roots Sports Club founder Edreece Arghandiwal, and Favianna Rodriguez with the Center for Cultural Power
• A cultural dialogue on performance and art as resistance, featuring San Francisco Drag Laureate Per Sia and NPR Tiny Desk Contest winner and rapper Ruby Ibarra, with performances to follow
• Interactive workshops offering practical tools to navigate division and build understanding across communities, led by Dr. Roxanne Manning
• Public forum on new data and recommendations from the California Commission on the State of Hate, led by Commissioners Russell Roybal and Regina Cuellar
• Participation from community organizations including AAPI Youth Rising, Disability Rights CA, TODEC, and more

Additional programming will be announced on the CA vs Hate summit page. Attendees will also hear insights from the California Commission on the State of Hate’s latest findings and engage in art experiences that foster reflection and connection, alongside interactive training and workshops designed to equip participants with tools to respond to and prevent hate.

“The data presented by our Commission is stunningly clear: hate, often unreported, continues to broadly and deeply impact the lives of millions of Californians at historically elevated levels,” said California Commission on the State of Hate Chair Brian Levin. “Addressing it requires more than promoting awareness about disturbing new statistics. It demands unified peaceful action through sustained civic collaboration across communities, sectors, and systems with inclusion of diverse perspectives. This key summit creates an important opportunity at a critical time for just that — to examine what’s working, confront emerging challenges, and build more effective and inclusive, evidence-based responses moving forward.”

There’s Support When You Report

California vs Hate, a statewide reporting hotline and online portal operated by CRD in partnership with 211 and community-based organizations, was created to respond to the growing need for safe, accessible reporting and support. Since its launch in May 2023, the program has responded to approximately 6,800 requests for help, offering confidential and anonymous reporting that is separate from law enforcement and grounded in a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach.

For more information on the California Civil Rights Summit, visit www.cavshate.org/summit.

The California Civil Rights Department (CRD) is the state agency charged with enforcing California’s civil rights laws. CRD’s mission is to protect the people of California from unlawful discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, and state-funded programs and activities, and from hate violence and human trafficking. For more information, visit calcivilrights.ca.gov.

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