This week, on the heels of the United States’ participation in the third Summit for Democracy, the Biden-Harris Administration hosted a roundtable conversation focused on countering a threat to our democracy here at home: the rise of hate-fueled violence. When Americans cannot freely participate in the basic activities of life—like going to school, shopping at the grocery store, or attending their house of worship—without fear of being targeted based on who they are or what they believe, the very fabric of our society is at risk.

During the roundtable, participants discussed the Biden-Harris Administration’s extensive efforts to counter hate-fueled violence, as well as a range of strategies that community leaders are pursuing to foster unity across differences and disrupt the normalization of hate-fueled violence. The convening also provided an opportunity to hear from the diverse, bipartisan members of the Bedrock National Leadership Council, who are united by the shared goal of countering hate-fueled violence. Bedrock is one of several nongovernmental and private sector initiatives that were announced at President Biden’s United We Stand Summit in September 2022.

From the day President Biden was sworn into office, the Biden-Harris Administration has taken numerous steps to counter hate-fueled violence, from signing the bipartisan COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, to releasing the first-ever National Strategy for Countering Domestic Terrorism. In December 2022, the Administration established an interagency policy committee to counter Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination. In May 2023, the Administration released the first-ever U.S. National Strategy to Counter Antisemitism, which it is implementing. The Administration is also drafting the first-ever National Strategy to Combat Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination. All of these efforts advance the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to work with partners to prevent, respond to, and recover from hate-fueled violence. Hate must have no safe harbor in America.

Participants in the convening included:

Neera Tanden, Assistant to the President and Director of the Domestic Policy Council
Steve Benjamin, Assistant to the President and Director of the Office of Public Engagement
Jen Daskal, Deputy Assistant to the President, and Deputy Homeland Security Advisor
Jamie Citron, Deputy Assistant to the President, and Principal Deputy Director of the Office of Public Engagement
Justin Vail, Special Assistant to the President for Democracy and Civic Participation
Melissa Rogers, Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director, White House Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships
John Picarelli, Director for Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention
John Bridgeland, Co-Chair of the Board, Bedrock
Norman Chen, CEO, The Asian American Foundation
Jim Copple, Executive Director, ACT NOW
Sarah Kate Ellis, CEO, GLAAD
Steve Eng, Advocacy Director, National Association of Evangelicals
Ryan B. Greer, President, Bedrock
Walter Kim, President, National Association of Evangelicals
Cecilia Muñoz, Co-Chair of the Board, Bedrock
Jerika Richardson, Senior Vice President, National Urban League
Farah Pandith, Former first-ever Special Representative to Muslim Communities
Adam Phillips, Chief Strategy Officer, Interfaith America
Jeff Polet, Director of the Ford Leadership Forum, Gerald R. Ford Presidential Foundation
Amb. Susan E. Rice, Former U.S. Domestic Policy Advisor, National Security Advisor, and U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations
George Selim, Senior Vice President, Anti-Defamation League
Harman Singh, Harman Singh, Co-Interim Executive Director, Sikh Coalition
Amy Spitalnick, CEO, Jewish Council for Public Affairs
Jim Wallis, Chair and Founding Director, Georgetown Center on Faith and Justice

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