Washington, D.C., September 14, 2022 ... Today, ADL (Anti-Defamation League) and the National Urban League announced the launch of the Community Solidarity & Safety Coalition (CSSC), an alliance comprised of non-governmental and non-partisan leaders that will work to collectively address critical community safety issues, especially focused on communities that have been targeted by hate-fueled violence. The CSSC will endeavor to shape community responses to solidarity and safety challenges and partner with federal, state, and local governments to keep communities safe from rising threats like domestic terrorism.
The White House is hosting the United We Stand Summit on September 15th to convene civil society organizations and community leaders dedicated to countering hate-fueled violence. The Summit comes after civil society partners – including ADL and the National Urban League – sent a letter to President Biden calling for such a summit following the tragic white supremacist terrorist attack in Buffalo, NY. The summit will highlight the rising threat of domestic violent extremism in our nation and amplify the voices of those affected by rising hate in the United States.
“Hearing from these communities is an excellent first step, and we applaud the Biden Administration’s leadership,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO. “We need more urgent, scaled, ongoing action to fully address the domestic extremist threat and keep our communities safe. Some of the action that needs to be taken depends on our communities – we must work together to, when possible, speak with one voice about how threats impact our communities and how we can work with government partners to counter them.”
“The murderous attack in Buffalo, NY by a white supremacist, the synagogue shooting in Pennsylvania, and the heinous attack against Asian women in Atlanta are just a few examples of why the convening of the Community Solidarity & Safety Coalition is needed now more than ever,” said Marc H. Morial, President and CEO of the National Urban League. “In order to address the growing threat of hate-fueled violence and extremism, it will take all levels of government and community members from various disciplines to come together to devise a solution. We thank President Biden for taking the initiative to address this threat to our nation directly and look forward to working with ADL and CSSC to promote healing and safety in our communities.”
The CSSC will consist of a group of cross-sector organizations who will focus specifically on solidarity and safety issues for community-based and nonprofit organizations, houses of worship, educational spaces, and other public spaces where communities have been targeted. CSSC founding partners will:
- Promote a broad national recognition of the threat of domestic violent extremism;
- Enable participating organizations to speak in concert against domestic violent extremist movements and together advocate for needed policy solutions;
- Prompt an assessment of the safety posture of private and nonprofit sector organizations and institutions to address the threat posed by domestic violent extremism;
- Call for specific policies that strengthen the capabilities of organizations and institutions across sectors to be prepared to confront hate-fueled violence;
- Disseminate best practices related to hate-fueled violence; and
- Encourage planning and training that strengthens our collective solidarity and safety.
As a result of the work of the CSSC, organizations across American life – from houses of worship to nonprofit organizations, community-based groups to large national retailers, and more – will have access to the ever evolving considerations and concerns of communities that are being targeted, and collective action that ultimately leads to more secure spaces for all Americans.
The CSSC launches today, September 14, 2022, in keeping with the spirit of the United We Stand Summit. With the support of Values Partnerships – the largest black-owned social impact agency in the country – this unity-driven solidarity and safety executive forum will build membership and governance structures throughout the remainder of the calendar year and begin operations in January 2023.
Founding members include:
- African Methodist Episcopal Church Social Action Commission
- GLAAD
- Interfaith America
- Jewish Federations of North America
- LULAC
- Matthew Shepard Foundation
- NAACP
- National Action Network
- National African American Clergy Network
- National Association of Evangelicals
- National Baptist Convention of America
- National Pan-Hellenic Council
- National Coalition on Black Civic Participation
- National Council of Black Churches
- National Council of Churches
- National Latino Evangelical Coalition
- Network for Religious and Traditional Peacemakers
- Progressive National Baptist Convention
- Rabbinical Assembly
- The Asian American Foundation
- UnidosUS
- United Negro College Fund
- Union for Reform Judaism
- United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism
ADL is a leading anti-hate organization. Founded in 1913 in response to an escalating climate of antisemitism and bigotry, its timeless mission is to protect the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment for all. Today, ADL continues to fight all forms of hate with the same vigor and passion. ADL is the first call when acts of antisemitism occur. A global leader in exposing extremism, delivering anti-bias education and fighting hate online, ADL’s ultimate goal is a world in which no group or individual suffers from bias, discrimination or hate. More at www.adl.org.
The National Urban League is a historic civil rights organization dedicated to economic empowerment in order to elevate the standard of living in historically underserved urban communities. The National Urban League spearheads the efforts of its 92 local affiliates through the development of programs, public policy research and advocacy, providing direct services that impact and improve the lives of more than 2 million people annually nationwide. Visit www.nul.org for more information.