Come out to engage in a safe but challenging conversation with other people in your community. This is the kickoff event for an ongoing series to expose problems and explore solutions to bigotry and injustice in Lorain County (and beyond).

You’ve probably heard the saying, “If you don’t know your history, you are doomed to repeat it.” It’s usually quoted when, as a society, we are not living up to our ideal selves, or as President Lincoln called it, “the better angels of our nature.” Many of us here in Lorain County feel that our community is dangerously close to embracing hate and intolerance as an acceptable way to interact with our fellow citizens.

In 2006, the YWCA’s of Elyria and Lorain formed the Community Anti-hate Taskforce
(CAT) with the mission to promote a more tolerant Lorain County. The Taskforce was a
subgroup of the Hate Crimes Working Group (aka, Civil Rights Division) in the U.S.
Attorney’s office with our Honorary Chairpersons Lorain County Prosecutor Dennis Wills
and Lorain County Sheriff Phil Stammitti.

Recently, U.S. Attorney General for the Northern District, Justin Herdman, dissolved the Hate Crimes Working Group and instead established an Office on Violent Crimes.
Although it is needed, the Elyria and Lorain YWCA’s and local law enforcement officials believe that there still exists a need in Lorain County and the country to actively combat hate.

This event is free and open to the public. Please call the YWCA at 440-322-6308 to
register for this event.

We will be in the commons space at LCCC, behind Starbucks.