Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen, City Of Champaign | City Of Champaign website
Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen, City Of Champaign | City Of Champaign website
More than 100 leaders, advocates, and community members from across Illinois convened in Champaign on October 21 for the first Illinois Together Against Hate Conference. The event aimed to promote equity, inclusion, and strategies to address hate. It was co-sponsored by the City of Champaign, the City of Urbana, and the Illinois Department of Human Rights.
Champaign Mayor Deborah Frank Feinen opened the conference with remarks emphasizing community. Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, a national expert on extremism and founder of the Polarization & Extremism Research and Innovation Lab at American University, delivered the keynote address.
Sessions throughout the day covered topics such as building social cohesion, fair housing, understanding the Illinois Human Rights Act, and addressing violent extremism. Attendees exchanged stories and discussed programs designed to ensure safety and inclusion for all residents.
The conference's goal was described as follows: "To ensure Illinois remains a place where every person feels safe, valued, and heard."
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