Oregon Department of Justice launches You Belong. Campaign to support victims of bias incidents and hate crimes

SALEM, Or.

,

April 22, 2024

/PRNewswire/ — Today, the Oregon Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Unit (CRU) kicked off its “You Belong.” campaign, a culturally and linguistically inclusive, statewide, multimedia public outreach effort to raise awareness of

Oregons

. The campaign will deploy six public services

in three languages ​​(English, Mandarin and Vietnamese); radio

; social media

in seven languages;

in

Portland

,

Gresham

,

Beverton

And

Medford

; and a social media

.

In 2018, in response to spikes in hate crimes around the world

Oregon

Attorney General

Ellen Rozenblum

and incidents. Guided by their insights and experiences, AG Rosenblum defended the 2019 passage

. The bill was passed and defined bias crimes and incidents

Oregon

and establishing resources to respond to the increase in hate crimes and bias incidents in the state.

SB 577 also established the Oregon Bias Response Hotline, the first of its kind in the country. In 2020, Oregon DOJ’s Civil Rights Unit (CRU) launched the Hotline, a confidential, non-emergency line staffed with multilingual attorneys trained to provide trauma-informed support and accessible in more than 240 languages.

“Every Oregonian should feel like he or she belongs here, but acts of bias and hatred rob people of that sense of belonging. For anyone who has experienced acts of hate and bias, you are not alone. You belong there.” said A.G. Rosenblum.

Data from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission

underlines the alarming and escalating trend of bias crimes and incidents. The Bias Response Hotline has recorded a 25% increase in reports between 2022 and 2023 and a staggering 229% increase since its inception in 2020.

With a focus on safety, support and options for survivors, the Bias Response Hotline also collects data to inform policymakers, law enforcement and the community about the scale of bias incidents and hate crimes around the world.

Oregon

. This data-driven approach promotes an inclusive environment by prioritizing communities affected by inequality and implementing measures that uphold the dignity and humanity of every individual.

“Prejudice and discrimination cause lasting wounds in individuals and often disrupt the sense of safety and belonging within entire communities,” the spokesperson said.

Fay Stetz-Waters

, DOJ Director of Civil Rights and Social Justice. “Reporting empowers us all to fight hate. Together we can make one

Oregon

culture where prejudice and discrimination have no place.”

The Civil Rights Unit encourages anyone who has experienced or witnessed discrimination, a bias incident or a hate crime to report it to the statewide confidential hotline, especially those covered by the law.

Oregons

protected classes based on their race, color, religion, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Bias Response Hotline provides support and follow-up options for people targeted by hate crimes or bias incidents. Call or chat with an attorney at 1-844-924-BIAS (2427); all Relay calls accepted; advocates will return all messages left outside of business hours; you can submit a web report at any time

.

The Civil Rights Unit is grateful to be working with the marketing company

production studio

and the translation/transcreation agency

to develop the campaign. Special thanks to the Oregon Legislature’s BIPOC Caucus for supporting this campaign’s funding.

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SOURCE Oregon Department of Justice Civil Rights Unit