According to a press release, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi launched United Against Hate.

This is an outreach program focusing on preventing, identifying, and reporting hate crimes and incidents, announced U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca.

United Against Hate connects community groups to federal, state, and local law enforcement to increase community understanding and reporting of hate crimes, build trust between law enforcement and communities, and create and strengthen alliances between law enforcement and other government partners and community groups to combat unlawful acts of hate.

In May of 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced steps towards the Department of Justice’s enhanced efforts to combat and confront hate crimes.  He stated, “Hate crimes and other bias-related incidents instill fear across entire communities and undermine the principles upon which our democracy stands.  All people in this country should be able to live without fear of being attacked or harassed because of where they are from, what they look like, whom they love, or how they worship.”

On June 29, 2023, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mitzi Dease Paige, Glenda Haynes, Tabitha Kingma and Angela Givens Williams, along with colleagues in their office and law enforcement partners who investigate hate crimes, hosted a presentation called “United Against Hate:  Identifying, Reporting and Preventing Acts of Hate” at Pearl A.M.E. Church in Jackson, Mississippi.

This event gave the U.S. Attorney’s Office an opportunity to connect with faith-based leaders to help effect positive change within our community.

Faith-based leaders are usually the first person of contact when individuals or families face these types of hateful behavior.

Often hate crimes and incidents go underreported, allowing offenders to continue to spread their hate, fear, and intimidation.

This event assisted faith-based leaders in the Jackson area to identify hate crimes, understanding the importance of reporting these crimes, and most importantly, discussing strategies to prevent acts of hate.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s online complaint form is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdms/civil-division webpage. The form can be emailed USAMSS.CivilRights@usdoj.gov , or concerns can be shared by leaving a voice mail for our Civil Rights Division at (601) 973-2825.