National Leaders Mark Historic Convening of the White House United We Stand Summit

Leaders of national organizations representing racial and ethnic groups targeted by violent extremists convened at the White House for the United We Stand summit on September 15, 2022. In May, the National Action Network (NAN), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), National Urban League (NUL), Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) urged President Biden to convene such a summit against hate-fueled attacks. The request came after the devastating attack in Buffalo, which was the latest in a string of extremist attacks in Oak Creek, Charleston, Orlando, Pittsburgh, Poway, and El Paso. The United We Stand summit, held on the 59th Anniversary of the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing, demonstrated that most Americans remain steadfastly against this violence, highlighted community efforts to combat it, and saw the announcement of federal efforts to advance national unity.

“We commend the Biden administration for bringing communities across the nation together to engage in conversations on combatting hate-motivated violence, supporting healing, and building a shared vision for a more united America,” said John C. Yang, President and Executive Director at Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC.  “As we honor the resilience of our communities, we appreciate the administration’s commitment to action to develop and further strengthen a wide range of federal response to confront hate and provide support to communities impacted by hate. We hope that today’s summit will catalyze greater individual and community engagement in addressing hate and look forward to continued work with the administration, executive agencies, and many others to protect our communities and help all communities to thrive.”