The Chico Area Interfaith Council has spent more than 20 years building understanding and standing against hate in Butte County.
After three consecutive hate crimes shook the community in 2023, the organization recognized that vigils and solidarity gatherings, while meaningful, were not enough. It needed a lasting prevention resource that could help people talk honestly about hate before harm occurred.
With Stop the Hate support, the council partnered with more than a dozen organizations representing diverse racial, cultural and faith communities to create the Empowering Voices video series. Instead of speaking about communities, the project invited people to speak for themselves and answer a simple question: What do you want your neighbors to understand about hate?
The videos are designed to live online for years and to be used by families, classrooms, faith communities, workplaces and civic groups. With reflection questions and resources for recognizing, interrupting and reporting hate, Empowering Voices turns personal stories into tools for empathy, dialogue and action.
ChicoAreaInterfaith.org (opens in a new tab)