A new state commission on hate crimes is seeking community-based solutions and resources in response to a sharp rise in hate crimes. The latest developments on the women-led protests in Iran. An update on Sacramento’s African American Experience Project.
California's hate crime commission
We have seen videos from the streets of San Francisco where an older Asian woman or man is beaten and attacked for no reason. Mass shootings targeting a certain group, race, and ethnicity. In our area, antisemitic symbols are left on both Sac State and UC Davis campuses or hung on freeway overpasses for all to see. If you think you've been hearing more about hate crimes over the past couple of years, especially since the start of the pandemic, you'd be right. According to a recently published report, the California Attorney General's office says hate crimes are at their highest reported level in 20 years, up 32% when just comparing 2020 to 2021. That includes crimes against Hispanics, the LGBTQ+ community, and African-Americans. But the highest rise in hate crimes targeted Asian Americans, up 177%. Now, California is making it easier for citizens to report these types of crimes. CapRadio's Race and Equity Reporter Sarah Mizes-Tan joined Insight to share more details on the new Commission on the State of Hate and the resources available for reporting cases. You can also report cases by phone at 1-833-8NO-HATE.
Iran protests
Nearly three months ago, the death of a 22-year-old Kurdish-Iranian woman in the custody of Iran's morality police ignited massive protests across the Islamic Republic. Since Mahsa Amini's death, the protests, led by women and the country's youth, have plunged the country into political turmoil. The Iranian government confirms at least 300 Iranians have been killed in the nationwide protests so far, but human rights groups believe the number is far higher. And the United Nations believes at least 14,000 have been detained, including children. The government took an even more drastic step to quell the protests, its parliament voting to approve the death penalty for those found guilty of participating in the unrest. The turmoil also spilled onto the global stage at the FIFA World Cup in Qatar. Although the country has seen several large protests since the Iranian Revolution more than four decades ago, the death of Mahsa Amini has called into question the strength and legitimacy of Iran's clerical rule. Dr. Sahar Razavi, Director of the Iranian and Middle East Studies Center at Sacramento State, first joined Insight almost two weeks after Amini's death to help provide more context behind the protests. She rejoined us to discuss the latest developments in the protests and how the Iranian community in California is reacting.
African American Experience Project
This year the city of Sacramento launched an ambitious historical review of African American history to highlight the significant contributions of Black Sacramentans from the city’s earliest years through the 20th century. Before the African American Experience Project began, the city lacked a historical framework to preserve the physical embodiments or intangible memories of Sacramento’s black experience for future generations. Recently, the project achieved a big milestone in this effort, releasing its first public draft of its Historic Context Statement. The nearly 150-page document is an initial outline that will eventually help the city preserve buildings and other landmarks of Black cultural and historical significance in Sacramento. Carson Anderson, Co-Director of the project, Joined Insight to tell us more about this document and provide an update on the project.
