HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem 5f. City Council Statement Condemning Antisemitism and Hate Toward Marginalized Groups Item 5f
Department: Administration
Cost Center: 1002
For Agenda of: 11/7/2023
Placement: Consent
Estimated Time: N/A
FROM: Mayor Erica A. Stewart
SUBJECT: CITY COUNCIL STATEMENT CONDEMNING ANTISEMITISM AND HATE
TOWARD MARGINALIZED GROUPS
RECOMMENDATION
Receive and file a joint Council statement condemning antisemitism and hate towards
marginalized groups.
POLICY CONTEXT
The City of San Luis Obispo is dedicated to creating a safe community for all residents,
visitors, and community-members at large. The City condemns hate, racism,
antisemitism, islamophobia, anti-immigrant, white nationalism, transphobia, ableism,
sexism, and all other forms of bigotry. And the City strongly affirms the inherent value of
peace, respect, inclusivity, and equity and recognizes that we derive strength from
diversity, a strong sense of belonging, and a community that cares for each other.
The City currently has a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Major City Goal to f urther our
commitment to making San Luis Obispo a welcoming and inclusive city for all by
continuing to incorporate diversity, equity, and inclusion into all programs and policies
and advancing the recommendations of the DEI Task Force.
DISCUSSION
Background
There has been a rise in hatred, bigotry, and white nationalism both in the US and across
the globe. Locally, there have been 19 hate incidents and nine hate crimes reported from
January to October 2023. The City firmly stands against all forms of hate, bigotry, and
discrimination.
This statement incorporates the recent work by the JCC-Federation of San Luis Obispo
on the joint statement to the community on this topic.
ATTACHMENTS
A - City Council Statement Condemning Antisemitism and Hate Towards Marginalized
Groups
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CITY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO STATEMENT
CONDEMNING ANTISEMITISM AND HATE TOWARDS MARGINALIZED GROUPS
NOVEMBER 7, 2023
San Luis Obispo is home to a thriving, diverse and welcoming community that
fosters a strong sense of belonging and acceptance. Perhaps that is why our area was
recently targeted by a small and fringe hate group seeking attention by distributing
antisemitic fliers designed to heighten concern and reaction.
We won't address the content of the fliers to avoid amplifying them, but the conduct
warrants response – particularly in the context of rising antisemitism nationally and
globally.
The troubling trends of antisemitism are mirrored in hate and bigotry targeting
Black, Latino, AAPI, LGBTQ+, Muslim and other often marginalized or minority groups.
Whether fueled by animus, political division, social isolation, or ignorance, we reject the
diminution of others' value based on their identity and immutable characteristics that
contribute to it. These disgusting incidents intended to spread hate and fear provide an
opportunity, as do other recent incidents targeting other groups, to reaffirm our conviction
in the value of a diverse and inclusive community that respects and embraces the wide
range of experiences, beliefs, and backgrounds that define it.
Our community is at its best when we come together to reject bigotry in all its forms.
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