Since late 2016, the Greater Washington region has seen a sharp increase in incidents of bias, bigotry, and intolerance. The increase in hate-related incidents coincided with the 2016 presidential campaign and escalated after the election. The Trump Administration has issued policies targeting immigrants, Muslims, and the transgendered, and has signaled its intention to shrink or dismantle offices charged with civil rights enforcement across multiple federal agencies. In May, the Justice Department announced a return to the mandatory drug sentencing policies that contributed to the mass incarceration of African American men. These actions and policy recommendations have created considerable cause for alarm among our region's immigrant, Muslim, LGBTQ, and African American communities.

The Steering Committee hosted a Resilience Fund Stakeholders Briefing on Tuesday, September 12 from 10-11:30 am at the Meyer Foundation to discuss how our neighbors are being affected and what steps we can take as a community to stand together against intolerance. Guest panelists included Nicole Cozier, director of diversity and inclusion at the Human Rights Campaign; Doron Ezickson, D.C. regional director of the Anti-Defamation League; Hurunnessa Fariad, interfaith/outreach/communications coordinator for the ADAMS Center; and Dr. Rashawn Ray, sociology professor at the University of Maryland.