The YWCA led a march against racism Friday with the theme “no hate, no fear.” The idea is to call on everyone to take personal responsibility in what the organization calls “the fight for equality for all.”
Oscia Miles-Wilson organized the event and says many other YWCA’s are holding anti-racism events this month.
“We wanted to take a strong stand with hate speech and hate crimes that are going on locally and nationally, ” said Wilson. “I have a son, so I always like to say I’m thinking of the present while looking towards the future. And making sure that he’s in a community that respects him as an African-American boy.”
About 300 people registered to march from the YWCA on Bitner Street in downtown Rochester to
Washington Square Park. Once at the park, the marchers heard from speakers with tips and resources on how they can address hate and fear in our community.
“It starts with all of us to take personal accountability especially when it comes to addressing particular issues in our community like hate and fear,” said YWCA CEO and President Angela Panzarella. “And what we’ve seen certainly in the news media is a lot of reporting about increasing trends for hate crimes, hate speech, and unfortunately the Rochester community is not immune.”
The YWCA has an online toolkit with local and national resources for anyone interested in what they call “the fight for equality for all.”
