The city of Redwood City has decided to unite and raise its voice against an emotion that only generates social pain when it is taken to its maximum expression: "hate."
Thus, in a call to local civic action to stop hate and implicit bias that are a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of our neighborhoods, towns and cities, from Sunday, November 14 to Saturday, November 20, the United Against Hate Week will be held in the city.
The initiative, which emerged from a United Against Hate poster campaign created by Bay Area Cities, came in response to white supremacist protests in Berkeley and San Francisco in 2017.
“Too many communities continue to suffer from acts of discrimination, hate crimes and microaggressions. We stand in unwavering solidarity with all those who have suffered at the hands of senseless violence and hate. I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again. And as leaders and members of our community, we must come together and say together, Enough!” said Redwood City Mayor Diane Howard.
For her part, Redwood City Vice Mayor Giselle Hale said that this campaign is about saying “Enough!” and being united against hate.
In that sense, she shared that, recently, a friend of hers of Asian origin was attacked by a customer, who, while picking up an order, decided to attack her by telling her to return to her country, despite the fact that she was born in the US, and "is the owner of a third-generation restaurant that has served her community for decades."
This situation had "huge" implications on her mental health, and made her feel like she did not belong in this community.
"When we see things like this we have two options: to be spectators or to act. We can speak up and say that we will no longer tolerate these situations and that we can defend others in their moment of vulnerability," he stressed.
Brianna Evans, Redwood City’s first Equity and Inclusion Officer, explained in a video that as part of the city government, she helped fulfill its core guiding principle of equity, established by the City Council in 2020.
“Redwood City is committed to putting equity first. We call for a collective reset to ensure that city policies genuinely serve everyone in our community regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, income, citizenship status, or any other identity. We all deserve a safe and opportunity-filled community.”
In this way Redwood City stands united against hate, and invites you to attend one of the following events:
Teddy Bear Tea – Tea with Teddy Bears
Sunday, November 14 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the downtown library, located at 1044 Middlefield Road, with tickets available from November 1 at the same location.
There, families with children ages 4-8 from Redwood City and North Fair Oaks are invited to an afternoon of community fellowship to kick off United Against Hate Week. This event is sponsored by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative and presented by RCPL CARES and Redwood City Together.
Identifying and interrupting microaggressions
This workshop will provide you with the opportunity to develop or deepen your awareness of what microaggressions are and how we unknowingly commit them during interactions with others, and will provide tangible communication techniques to interrupt microaggressions in the moment.
The event will be held virtually on Wednesday, November 17 at 5:00 p.m. through the Zoom platform, for which it is necessary to register by giving click here.
Transgender Day of Remembrance Virtual Event
This virtual gathering is an opportunity to provide a space for community mourning, reflection, and healing for all the transgender lives lost in the U.S. to hate.
Presented by the San Mateo County LGBTQ Commission, the San Mateo County Pride Center, and the Redwood City Public Library, the event will take place on Friday, November 19 at 5:00 p.m., via Zoom for which registration is required. register, however, it can also be seen on the channel Redwood City Public Library YouTube.
Sequoia High School Dream Club Virtual Dinner
The 12th Annual Sequoia High School Dream Club Fundraising Dinner will be held virtually on Friday, November 19 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets ranging from $20 to $50 are required for admission and can be purchased online. by clicking here.
As a symbol of your solidarity, you can also display a United Against Hate Week poster, which are available for pick up at all Redwood City Public Library locations, or you can download them to print. here.
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