“Why a coalition against hate, and why now?” she asked.
“The YWCA Hamilton has really moved into this commitment of racial justice, and as part of our strategic plan that was started in 2019 and signed into actual action, we realized we wanted to have a coalition against hate to address situations of hate that manifest in our community.”
The non-partisan coalition of people and organizations will be modeled after programs in Cincinnati and elsewhere in the country, she said. It will be committed to “dismantling systemic hate and moving us toward a peaceful community through education, response and referral.”
The goal originally was to create the coalition by 2024, but with the COVID-19 pandemic, “the consistent division within our communities, as well as the civil unrest in 2020 made us want to move this timeline up,” Hale said.
In 2019, an exploration team was developed to investigate how to launch a coalition. Now that Hale is working as the YWCA’s director of racial justice, she can “help spearhead the work and hopefully add some new energy and get us on track to start,” Hale said.
YWCA Hamilton was founded in 1900 with primary aims being uplifting women and eliminating racism.
In cases where someone’s identity or livelihood is threatened, locally, the coalition will make sure the community is aware “that this is not something that the members of the coalition stand for, and that we want to support any survivor or victim of violence however we can,” Hale said.
The coalition will also help connect them with legal help, counseling and other resources.
Taylor Stone-Welch, who has been a member of the coalition’s exploratory two years, said that as chairman of the Hamilton Pride Committee, he is glad the organization is being created, not only for the LGBTQ+ community, but for all groups that experience hate, including because of race, religion, sex, sexual orientation and other reasons.
“From my personal perspective, there are a lot of instances where people target the gay community, the trans community, especially right now,” he said. “That seems to be a target that comes up a lot, with acts of hate. So I think this is an important organization.”
The coalition will ask itself, “Does the community need education on why this instance of hate is something that should not be tolerated, and something we should not allow in our community?” Hale said.
The coalition is looking to add members, including community leaders and decision-makers who want to “move us to a more peaceful environment,” she said.
Hale showed a graphic that listed the coalition’s values: Peace, justice, self-love, community love, inclusion, mutual respect, equity and solidarity.
“I think Hamilton is one of the most passionate communities I’ve ever lived in, and everyone loves Hamilton,” she said. “I think that is something we can all get behind, is how much we love this city. It’s kind of infectious. Even being — don’t hate me — from Fairfield, I didn’t realize how much people loved Hamilton, until I moved here. Now I love Hamilton, more than I love Fairfield. Don’t tell the Fairfield people I said that.”
How to participate
“We want to have a diverse and inclusive table that we’re setting, and people involved and excited about this work,” Hale said.
By early in 2022, there will be training for coalition members “so that we can really start moving the needle as instances happen,” she said.
To express interest, contact Charla Hale at chale@ywcahamilton.com or at the YWCA, (513) 856-9800.
About the Author
