The King County Coalition Against Hate and Bias, formed in 2020, has spent the past year listening to community members impacted by hate- and bias- motivated experiences. The partners in the Coalition are coming together during a May 26 forum to expand on these conversations and develop possible solutions. The forum is hosted by Eastside for All, one of the partner organizations in the Coalition.
This community forum is intended to share information and spark action within participants’ circles of interests and influence. An overview of the King County Hate and Bias Incident Response Survey will be shared, along with data specific to East King County.
“This forum builds on the work of the Coalition’s partner organizations over the past year. Hate and bias motivated incidents happen all the time, but little is known about their extent and impact.” said Debbie Lacy, CEO and Founder of Eastside for All. “We now have a way to more meaningfully capture what communities are experiencing, and most importantly, to use that information as a call to action.”
The survey data which will be presented at the forum, reveals that less than ten percent of the King County incidents (9.17%) were reported to the police or a government agency. The vast majority (91%) said they believed their race or ethnicity was the motivating factor in the incident that took place. Other reasons included immigration status, disability, age, religion, sexual identity, and gender identity.
The forum is organized by Eastside for All and several East King County community based organizations: 4 Tomorrow, Chinese Information and Services Center, Eastside Embrace, Immigrant Women’s Community Center, Indian American Community Services, and the Muslim Community and Neighborhood Association.
The forum is supported by King County coalition partners: United Indians of All Tribes, COVID19 Community Response Alliance, Seattle Chinatown International District Preservation and Development Authority, Vietnamese American Community of Seattle Snohomish-King Counties, and the King County Office of Equity and Social Justice.