Beginning Wednesday, February 1st, at 7:00 p.m., YWCA Northern New Jersey (YWCANNJ) will kick off its 4-part hybrid discussion series, “Unite Against Hate: The State of Bias Crimes in NJ,” focusing on the troubling surge of biased incidents against marginalized communities in New Jersey. The New Jersey Attorney General’s Office found that in 2021 biased incidents in the state reached an all-time high of 1,871, a 29% increase from 2020. This conversation series is designed to raise awareness about these incidents and provide resources to the public on building resilient communities. Featured speakers will include public officials, non-profit leaders, and community activists with experience in confronting hate.

Unite Against Hate’s inaugural virtual event will cover issues facing the LGBTQ+ community, featuring Chris Hillmann, Councilman of Hasbrouck Heights; Reginald Bledsoe, Director of Essex County Office of LGBTQ Affairs; and Donnalee Corrieri, Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center. The following virtual event, taking place on Thursday, February 2nd, at 7:00 p.m., will address Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) discrimination and feature Ellen Park, Assemblywoman for District 37; Amber Reed, President of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders of Montclair; and Brian Heo and Eunice Lee from the Asian Americans and Pacific Island Youth Council. The final virtual event will highlight antisemitism and will take place on Tuesday, February 7th, at 7:00 p.m. Featured speakers will include Sundeep Iyer, Director of the New Jersey Division on Civil Rights at the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office; Michael Wildes, Mayor of Englewood; and Paula Star, Vice President of Advocacy of the National Council of Jewish Women – Bergen County Section. The series will conclude with an in-person public town hall event at Caldwell University on Wednesday, February 8th.

“The ‘Unite Against Hate: The State of Bias Crimes in NJ’ is an important step forward in New Jersey’s march toward equity, justice, and accountability. This series is meant to draw attention to the increasing amount of hate crimes in New Jersey. According to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, 2021 saw a record-high number of reports of biased incidents in the state. This is a horrifying trend and must be addressed immediately,” stated Helen Archontou, CEO of YWCA Northern New Jersey. “In light of this, our series will serve as a platform for individuals and communities to develop more empathy for others and in turn support the healing process that is much needed.”

The Unite Against Hate series is open to the public and available for viewing via YWCANNJ’s YWTV stream on Facebook at facebook.com/ywcannj.
LGBTQ+ Wednesday, February 1
7:00 p.m.

AAPI Thursday, February 2
7:00 p.m.

Antisemitism Tuesday, February 7
7:00 p.m.

In-person town hall at Caldwell University Wednesday, February 8
7:00 p.m.
To learn more about YWCA Northern New Jersey, go to ywcannj.org.
About YWCA Northern New Jersey
For over a century, YWCA Northern New Jersey has improved the lives of thousands of women, girls, and families and is on the forefront of the fight against gender and racial discrimination. We work to build more just and inclusive communities through programs for women and girls, anti-racism training, and policy advocacy. We operate healingSPACE, Bergen County’s only Sexual Violence Resource Center (hotline number: 201-487-2227) and provide year-round child care, and senior wellness programs. YWCA Northern New Jersey serves Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Morris, and Passaic counties. To learn more, visit ywcannj.org and follow @ywcannj on social media.