COMBATING HATE CRIMES | BARUCH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Tonight I attended the 'Combating Hate Crime Through Education' forum hosted by Manhattan Community Board 6. The panel was made up of teachers, LGBTQ activists, policymakers, and council members who discussed the topics of discrimination, gentrification, racism and hate in the context of New York City. They highlighted the importance of listening to different points of view, but also standing up to discrimination be it through activist work or through policy reform.

The issue of schools was raised frequently, because in such a multicultural city, children will have to face other populations with different cultural and social backgrounds. How to effectively do this was a key topic throughout the evening.

I met a few key individuals during the talk including Michelle Winfield a member of the NYC Democratic Party and an experienced community participant.