Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities (SCCUSIC)
United Against Hate Week
September 21-27, 2024
Join the Resource Center for Nonviolence and our partner organizations across Santa Cruz County for a transformative week dedicated to confronting hate through unity, creativity, and nonviolent action. Our series of events promises to enlighten, inspire, and motivate our community to stand united against hate and to foster environments of peace and understanding.
United Against Hate Week, an unprecedented collaboration of municipalities, school districts, and civic organizations to raise awareness and spark action to stop hate and build inclusion.
Kickoff Event: Breaking Bread, Building Bridges — Savoring Solidarity
Date: September 21, 2024
Time: 4:00 PM
Location: Resource Center for Nonviolence
Immerse yourself in an evening of inclusive engagement at our kickoff event. Delve into the flavors and stories of diverse perspectives, engaging in dialogues that spark connections and celebrate our shared humanity. This dinner promises not only to nourish but also to inspire a deeper commitment to nonviolence and equity.
RSVP: Secure your place at this crucial community event. Click Here to RSVP.
Bystander Intervention Training
Date: September 21, 2024
Time: 2:00-3:30 PM
Location: The Betty Leonard Community Room
Prepare to act against hate with our Bystander Intervention Training, provided by CAIR California. This session will equip you with the nonviolence principles and de-escalation techniques needed to safely support targeted individuals during hate incidents.
Registration: santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/12986542
Expressions of Hope: United Against Hate Poetry Slam
Date: September 25, 2024
Time: 6:00-7:00 PM
Location: The Diversity Center, 1117 Soquel Ave, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
Join the LGBTQ+ community and allies in an expressive night of poetry that explores themes of unity, acceptance, and peace. It’s an opportunity to voice your stories and share in a collective narrative of hope and resilience.
Registration: tinyurl.com/HOPETDC2024
United Against Book Bans, Unite Against Hate: Panel Discussion
Date: September 26, 2024
Time: 7:00-8:00 PM
Location: Capitola Branch Library, 2005 Wharf Rd, Capitola, CA 95010
Engage with a diverse panel to discuss the vital role of challenged and banned books in promoting well-being and combating bias. This enlightening conversation will underscore the transformative power of inclusive literature.
Registration: https://santacruzpl.libcal.com/event/12983642
United Against Hate Week School Toolkit
Available: Throughout United Against Hate Week
Access: Online at sccoe.link/uahw24
Discover our digital toolkit full of resources for educators and families to integrate United Against Hate Week themes into classrooms and homes. This comprehensive guide ensures that the spirit of this week resonates beyond our events into daily learning and interaction.
About United Against Hate Week
United Against Hate Week (September 21-27, 2024) is a call to action for communities across the nation to stand against hate and bigotry and to build safe, inclusive environments for all. Santa Cruz County joins this national movement with a series of local events designed to educate, inspire, and mobilize our community towards greater solidarity and nonviolence.
United Against Hate was created by civic leaders in direct response to the sharp rise in expressions of hate in our communities. We want to empower local residents to take action in their local communities and alter the course of this growing intolerance.
When cities and their residents work together against hate, we can restore respect and civil discourse, embrace the strength of diversity and build inclusive and equitable communities for all.
Join us! You can post signs, host events, share stories, attend rallies, and connect with schools and neighborhood civic institutions. Nothing is too small, because working united in each community is what will defeat hate in all communities.
Who We Are
Santa Cruz County United for Safe and Inclusive Communities (SCCUSIC) is an informal but robust 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.
What We Do
Education — Organize activities and events that raise community awareness about hate and bias incidents;
Referrals — Point victims of hate and bias to existing community organizations, programs, and services that may be able to help them deal with hate and bias directed at them; and
Advocacy — Advocate for specific improvements in how hate and bias incidents are handled in Santa Cruz County and its incorporated cities (Watsonville, Scotts Valley, Capitola, and Santa Cruz).
What We Don't Do
As a group of volunteers, we are not able to intervene in specific incidents. At this time, we are not in a position to mediate such incidents, to represent or speak for victims of hate and bias, nor to advocate on behalf of individual victims.
Join the SCCUSIC Mailing List
Receive meeting updates and notes about our group.
