CITY leaders and local artists launched “LA for All,” a multilingual PSA campaign led by the Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department (LA Civil Rights) to share resources for reporting hate crimes and hate incidents, as well as celebrate diversity, belonging and inclusion in Los Angeles.
The campaign was officially launched on Wednesday, May 26 outside of LA City Hall.
“LA for All reaffirms what Los Angeles is and can be at our best: a place where everybody belongs and where no one should face discrimination, bigotry, or violence because of who they are, what they look like, who they love, or what they believe,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement. “Our campaign brings our city’s creative spirit, our commitment to human and civil rights, and our rejection of intolerance together under a single banner — and makes sure Angelenos can find resources and support in the face of prejudice and hate.”
Led by LA Civil Rights, as well as the Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA) and Department of Public Works (DPW), “LA for All” includes artwork and designs from six local Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) artists, as well as resources for reporting hate crimes and incidents.
One of the artists includes Filipino muralist Eliseo Art Silva whose portrait of “Nanay” Fedelina Luguasan — the late Filipina human trafficking survivor who spent 65 years enslaved as by a Filipino family — is featured on a digital card promoting the campaign and resources to call if one experiencing a hate crime or incident.
The campaign comes after a continued rise in reported hate crimes in Los Angeles, including a 114% increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans reported to LAPD in 2020. Hate crimes are up 55% in Los Angeles since 2016 according to LAPD data, and have reached new highs against African Americans, Latinos, the Jewish community, and the LGBTQ community, among others.
LA for All will be rolled out in 12 languages, including Tagalog, and will be featured on bus shelters, street light banners, DASH buses, libraries, sanitation trucks, social media and on digital billboards in every terminal of LAX.
”This campaign is about protecting and safeguarding the values Los Angeles holds most dear: belonging, inclusion, and community. Everyone has a role to play in ensuring our family, friends, and neighbors feel safe in our beautiful City,” said Public Works Commissioner Jessica Caloza and Co-Chair of the APAHM Committee. “Given the diversity of L.A., this also means making sure our resources are available in multiple languages. As an immigrant whose first language is not English, I feel so proud knowing LA for All will be accessible in over 12 languages and will reach our most vulnerable communities.”
Councilmembers John Lee, Nithya Raman and Mark Ridley Thomas co-introduced a motion in March calling on the city to “initiate a public messaging campaign, in collaboration with artists from the AAPI communities, against anti-AAPI hate speech.” The motion was passed by the City Council on April 29.
LA Civil Rights, which was established last year, is taking on hate crime and incident prevention as part of its work. The new department has reached thousands of viewers through its livestream and televised programming on reporting and reducing hate, and has launched a Stop Hate Resource Hub at CivilAndHumanRights.LAcity.org/LAforAll, which includes both government and community resources for victims of hate.
“LA for All is more than a campaign, it is a call to action,” said Capri Maddox, executive director of the Civil + Human Rights and Equity Department (LA Civil Rights). “Hate crimes in Los Angeles have risen 55% over the past five years, affecting the AAPI community and so many others. This is a crisis we cannot ignore. We must make it clear that Los Angeles will not stand for hate or discrimination, and that we celebrate the diverse mosaic that defines our city.”
Anyone who has seen or experienced a hate crime or incident can report anonymously to the LAPD at 1-877-ASK-LAPD, or reach a crisis care coordinator by calling 2-1-1, 3-1-1 or visiting www.lavshate.org/report.
