“LA For All” week aims to combat hate crimes

A mosaic of colors will light up structures across the city Thursday as a symbol of solidarity against hate and discrimination. Sites include USC’s Galen Center, City Hall, the LA Zoo, Dodger Stadium and the Los Angeles Central Library. The citywide display is part of Los Angeles’ first-ever “LA For All” week aimed at combating the recent record number of hate crimes.

Hate crimes reported in Los Angeles reached an all-time high in 2021, with the number projected to be surpassed this year. In response, the L.A. Civil Rights Department launched the PSA campaign “LA For All” last year to foster a citywide show of togetherness.

“We were intentional about designing a campaign that reflected [L.A.’s] diversity,” said Capri Maddox, executive director of the L.A. Civil Rights Department. “If you look closely, you’ll see every skin tone and all the vibrant colors of our city represented.”

To embrace the diversity that makes Los Angeles unique, campaign signs reading “LA Is For Everyone” are currently on buses, billboards and businesses across the city. In the spirit of inclusivity, posters translated in 18 languages filled more than 5,000 acres of ad space.

“We created the campaign as a love letter to the city,” said Mark Pampanin, L.A.’s communications director for Civil + Human Rights and Equity. “We want everyone in the city who believes in L.A.’s diversity and who wants to celebrate L.A.’s diversity to take this and run with it on their own.” Posters are available by reaching out to the L.A. Civil Rights Department here.

The campaign followed a significant spike in racially motivated violence that coincided with civil unrest and the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. Nationwide, hate crimes increased 46% last year. In Los Angeles, Black people are more likely to be a victim of a hate crime than other racial groups.

The L.A. County District Attorney’s Office defines a hate crime as “a criminal act or attempted criminal act against an individual or group of individuals because of their actual or perceived race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, sexual orientation, gender or disability.”

“While the past few years have shown us there is much work to be done as a nation, we have also learned that Angelenos will stand up for one another in the face of injustice,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti in a statement for the campaign. “In Los Angeles we not only celebrate differences, we uplift them because that is where our strength comes from.”

In Los Angeles, hate crimes can be reported anonymously by calling 311.