Commission hears Hate Free Together summit report; public questions name and framing

Commission liaisons summarized an Oct. 16 Hate Free Together summit that brought representatives from faith groups, K–12 and higher education, nonprofits and county service providers together for resource mapping and facilitated restorative justice exercises.

"The summit was... meant to bring the groups together to address issues of discrimination and belonging and to share insights," a liaison said, describing follow-up work by YOLO Conflict Resolution Center and the Consensus Building Institute to draft a three-year strategic plan expected in early 2026.

Several members of the public urged the commission to rethink the initiative's name and framing. One commenter said the "hate" label reinforces negative identity politics and suggested using Martin Luther King Jr.'s "beloved community" as an alternative emphasis focused on relationship-building. Another commenter asked for data on incidents and urged that the initiative collect and publish evidence so responses are proportionate to documented harms.

Commissioners acknowledged both the value of the summit's resource mapping and the need for broad community engagement; staff noted the strategic plan will be released for public input when drafted. The commission asked staff to ensure that Hate Free Together materials and summit outputs are made available to the public and that the initiative considers community feedback on naming and objectives.

Next steps: the contracted facilitators will produce a draft strategic plan and resource map; the commission requested that staff circulate summit materials and that the initiative consider alternative framings based on public comment.