title
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
DECLARING NOVEMBER 12 - 18, 2023, UNITED AGAINST HATE WEEK
WHEREAS, United Against Hate Week is celebrated by cities, counties, libraries, nonprofit organizations, and community institutions across the Country from November 12-18, 2023; and
WHEREAS, United Against Hate Week is a call for local civic action to stop the hate and implicit biases that are a dangerous threat to the safety and civility of our neighborhoods, towns, and cities; and
WHEREAS, United Against Hate Week emerged in 2017 from a Bay Area Cities poster campaign in response to white supremacist rallies; and
WHEREAS, Cook County United Against Hate was founded in 2022, following an antisemitic propaganda distribution across the northern suburbs; and
WHEREAS, Cook County United Against Hate catalyzes efforts to disrupt discrimination, empower everyone to champion social justice, and spur educational opportunities to learn about systematic racism; and
WHEREAS, Cook County rejects bias, bigotry, bullying, discrimination, hate, and racism, of any kind, and is committed to fighting injustice and intolerance; and
WHEREAS, Cook County is a sanctuary County, hereby joins with its community to welcome all people regardless of their race, religion, ethnicity, age, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, class, or other backgrounds; and
WHEREAS, despite concerted efforts and coalitions from Suffrage, the Chicano El Movimiento, and the Civil Rights Movement, to combating Islamophobia post 9/11, Black Lives Matter, and Stop AAPI Hate, hate crimes continue to rise and have more than doubled since 2014; and
WHEREAS, nationally according to the FBI, 11,634 hate crime incidents were reported in 2022, with increases in anti-Black, anti-Hispanic, antisemitic hate, homophobic, and anti-American Indian or Alaska Native over 2021. Anti-Muslim incidents in 2022 are overrepresented among victims; and
WHEREAS, anti-Black hate crimes were more than three times higher than the next highest racial or ethnic category, and anti-LGBTQIA+ hate crimes recorded a five-year high; and
WHEREAS, we may look to our history and leaders from the past for guidance:
WHEREAS, Martin Luther King Jr. said, "darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that;” and
WHEREAS, Mahatma Gandhi said, “hatred can be overcome only by love. Whenever you are confronted with an opponent, conquer him with love;” and
WHEREAS, Confucius said, “it is easy to hate and it is difficult to love;” and
WHEREAS, in the Cherokee story of The Two Wolves we learn that “hate is like taking poison and wishing your enemy would die;” and
WHEREAS, Jewish scholar Maimonides said, “all the evils that men cause to hate each other because of certain desires, or opinions or religious principles, are rooted in ignorance;” and
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, Cook County Board of Commissioners does hereby declare November 12 - 18, 2023 as United Against Hate Week to pronounce that all are welcome in Cook County; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, during United Against Hate Week, Cook County encourages seven days of local civil action by residents, governments, and organizations in every community to denounce racism, hate, injustice, bigotry, discrimination, and implicit bias of any kind; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, Cook County does hereby commit to leveraging its resources to embrace the strength of our diversity, build inclusive and equitable communities, and ensure all feel welcome and are able to thrive.end