PITTSBURGH —
United Against Hate Week, hosted by Stand for All Pittsburgh, runs from Monday, Oct. 19 through Oct. 25 and brings together organizations across the city to promote understanding, break down barriers and encourage neighborly connections.
The week features events and offers a wide range of activities to get involved.
“So, we have 19 different organizations across the community that have sponsored events during this week, and they’re widely varied. We’ve had film screenings, we’ve had educational opportunities, we’ve had prayer vigils, we have social events,” the Rev. Liddy Barlow, of Christian Associates of Southwest Pennsylvania, said.
Barlow explained that the variety of events was designed to provide a comfortable starting point for anyone interested in participating.
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Dr. Martin Gaynor, a survivor of the Tree of Life synagogue shooting, also spoke about the impact of hate and the importance of efforts like this week’s events.
“I’ve seen what happens when someone lets themselves be consumed by hate. There’s a lot of hate speech right now by public figures, by podcasters, by influencers, by people who stand to gain in one way or another from this. And it’s all around us, and we can’t let ourselves succumb to that,” Gaynor said.
The event comes about a week before the eighth anniversary of the tragic shooting in Squirrel Hill. Gaynor touched on how initiatives like United Against Hate Week honor the victims and create opportunities for positive change.
“And I think it honors the memories of those who were murdered because of hate, because of who they are. And for those of us who are survivors who were affected by this, it gives us the opportunity to take what happened to us and try and turn it to something good,” Gaynor said.
If you would like to learn more about the events happening, click here.