United Against Hate Week: A Week of Programs

United Against Hate was created by civic leaders in direct response to the sharp rise in expressions of hate in our communities. Our organization, Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities (SCCUSIC), a program of the Resource Center for Nonviolence, wants to empower local residents to take action in our communities and alter the course of this growing intolerance. When we come together to work against hate, we can restore respect and civil discourse, embrace the strength of diversity and build inclusive and equitable communities for all.

United Against Hate Week (Nov. 12-20, 2023) is a call for a week of local civic action by people in every community to stop the hate and implicit biases that are a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of our neighborhoods and community. We have extended the week to incorporate additional opportunities to connect and learn.
We invite the entire community to come to any and all of these free events:

Monday, November 13th

Singing Heals Fireside Song Circle, 6:30 - 8 PM, location disclosed to registrants. Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/singing-heals-fireside-song-free-4-united-against-hate-week-tickets-739610303327
Singing is a unique and powerful tool for healing. Come get out of your head and into your voice so that you may be soothed, regulated, connected and uplifted. An accessible and community-based approach to singing, these circles are a safe space for all of us to sing, feel and heal together. Your voice is needed here, NO singing experience required. Together we will share simple chants, rounds and layer songs. Singing is our birthright, and healing happens in community. So come connect with your voice and transform how you feel.

Born to Be, film screening and panel discussion
7:00 PM, Center for Spiritual Living
1818 Felt St, Santa Cruz

BORN TO BE follows the work of Dr. Jess Ting (he/him) at the groundbreaking Mount Sinai Center for Transgender Medicine and Surgery. There, for the first time ever in New York City, transgender and gender non-binary people have access to quality gender-affirming surgery and care. With extraordinary access, this documentary offers an intimate look at how one doctor’s work impacts the lives of his patients as well as how his journey from renowned plastic surgeon to pioneering gender-affirming specialist has led to his own
transformation.

Wednesday, November 15th

Calling-In Workshop
6:30 PM, Online, Register here.
This event is presented by Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ). Learn and practice how to have difficult conversations with people who hold different views than your own without creating more division. Just in time for the holidays!

https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwtcOmgqT4jHdL2CudCEx8p1gYXqMKCye6m#/registration

Thursday, November 16th

Raising Zoey, film screening followed by a panel discussion and Q&A
6 - 8 PM, Cabrillo Watsonville Center Auditorium
318 Union Street, across from the Watsonville Central Plaza

Raising Zoey is a documentary film about a transgender Latina teen who works with her mom and the ACLU to secure her right to use her chosen name and gender identity at school.

Sponsored by Pajaro Valley Pride, TransFamilies, Watsonville Film Festival, Raíces y Cariño Family Center, Rainbow Defense Coalition, SURJ (Showing Up for Racial Justice) Santa Cruz County, Santa Cruz Public Libraries, and Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities (SCCUSIC)

Restorative Justice in Santa Cruz County Panel Discussion
6:30 - 8 PM
Resource Center for Nonviolence
612 Ocean St, Santa Cruz
Learn about the history and present state of Restorative Justice practices in Santa Cruz County with the Conflict Resolution Center, Santa Cruz Equity Collab, Neighborhood Courts program, and the District Attorney's office. Hear updates about the Black Lives Matter Mural Defacement and how RJ was used in the sentencing.

Saturday, November 18th

Rainbow Defense Training
2 - 5 PM
Raíces y Cariño Family Center
1205 Freedom Blvd, Unit 3B, Watsonville
Register at bit.ly/UAHW-rainbow

Learn de-escalation and intervention techniques to respond to any disruption at local LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC events. Build community with others who care about creating safe and welcoming space for everyone.

Sponsored by the Rainbow Defense Coalition of Santa Cruz County & the Pajaro Valley Pride Coalition including Pajaro Valley Pride, Raíces y Cariño Family Center, Santa Cruz Black, Santa Cruz Equity Collab, Showing Up for Racial Justice (SURJ) Santa Cruz County, TransFamilies, Equity Transit, the Diversity Center, and we welcome others who share the same vision and commitments.

Sunday, November 19th

Bystander Intervention Training
1 - 3 PM, Branciforte Branch Library
230 Gault St. Santa Cruz

Bystander Intervention Training teaches bystanders about the principles of nonviolence and de-escalation techniques. In this training participants learn hands-on skills about how to de-escalate a hate incident before it leads to violence, how to create a safe space, and how to support the person being targeted. Register at https://santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/11435184

Trans Day of Remembrance and Celebration

Join Pajaro Valley Pride 3 - 6 PM at Fruition Brewing, 918 E. Lake Ave., Watsonville. We will honor the lives of our departed trans community and uplift the living. Be in a safe space for community building, art, and educational resources. Plus, make a card for LBGTQIA+ prisoners. Visit pajarovalleypride.org for more information.

Join or Die, film screening and tabling by local organizations and clubs
7 - 9 PM, The 418 Project
155 S. River St, Santa Cruz
A feature documentary illustrating how the fate of America depends on people joining clubs and building connections with fellow community members. The film examines America's civic unraveling through the journey of social scientist Robert Putnam, whose groundbreaking book, “Bowling Alone” explores the long decline in social networking and how this has worsened the crisis in our democracy. The film profiles individuals and groups building community across the country and shows how affinity groups and clubs strengthen the fabric of our democracy while improving people's health and well-being.

Monday, November 20th

Transgender Day of Remembrance Vigil
Vigil 6:30-8:30, Reception 8:30-9:00 PM
Resource Center for Nonviolence
612 Ocean Street, Santa Cruz

Transgender Day of Remembrance is an annual observance that honors the memory of the transgender people whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence. Join us to commemorate the lives of our fallen transgender siblings and celebrate the lives of those still among us. Register at bit.ly/UAHW-TDOR

Resources for Survivors of Hate and Bias Incidents or Crimes
Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities has created a resource guide for survivors of hate and bias incidents. Print copies of the guide will be available at Santa Cruz Public Libraries Branches and at partner organizations. Download the English version: https://bit.ly/hbrg-eng or in Spanish: https://bit.ly/hbrg-esp

Antiracism Book Discussion Kits
The Santa Cruz Public Libraries has 4 Book Discussion Kits for the book How to be an Antiracist, by Ibram X. Kendi. Each kit comes in a bag containing 8 copies of the book along with a discussion guide. Put one on hold here: bit.ly/BDK-antiracist.

ABOUT SANTA CRUZ COUNTY UNITED FOR SAFE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITIES

Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities (SCCUSIC), a program of the Resource Center for Nonviolence, is a countywide collaborative group that works to reduce hate and bias across Santa Cruz County and strengthen our response when incidents do occur. Those involved come from all walks of life, including representatives of diverse racial and ethnic groups, the homeless, elected officials, law enforcement, religious leaders, and many others. The group was started in honor of Taliesin Namchai Meche, who was killed in a hate crime in 2017.

SCCUSIC receives invaluable advice and encouragement from Not In Our Town (www.niot.org), which spearheads the national movement to stop hate, address bullying, and build safe, inclusive communities for all.

We started out by organizing countywide activities to mark United Against Hate Week in fall 2021, which was very successful. We have been educating ourselves about how hate and bias incidents are currently handled across the County, where there is a need for improvement, and how SCCUSIC might help fill those needs.