Hosted alongside Wells Fargo and NBC News/MSNBC
anchor Richard Lui; seminars open to
community organizations will take place at AMC Theatres in
New York and San Francisco in March
NEW
YORK, March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- In response
to the alarming rise in hate incidents across major U.S. cities,
Right To Be (formerly Hollaback!), a
nonprofit working to end harassment in all its forms,
and Wells Fargo have joined forces to hold
bystander intervention workshops at AMC Theatres in New York City (March 9) and San
Francisco (March 15).
Hosted alongside NBC News / MSNBC anchor Richard Lui and made possible with additional
support by Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC and AARP, the
events will feature an educational session covering the five D's of
bystander intervention (Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay,
Direct) and a panel discussion with community leaders on
bias-motivated harassment. The workshops aim to educate
individuals on the proactive measures they can take to safely
de-escalate situations and assist victims. To learn more about
bystander intervention, visit RightToBe.org.
Hate crimes in the U.S. have increased steadily in recent years,
with 7,262 cases reported in 2021, per FBI data, marking the
third-highest total in the last decade. Recent data suggests that
crimes motivated by race, religion, gender, or other factors
continued to rise in major American cities last year. New York City and San Francisco were selected as the first two
locations for bystander intervention workshops due to their high
number of reported hate crimes.
"We can witness harassment in various forms, from covert racial
microaggressions in everyday life to overt gender discrimination in
the workplace. Oftentimes, we want to diffuse the situation but
don't know how," said Emily
May, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Right To
Be. "These workshops will empower the public with the
skills they need to navigate instances of harassment as a
bystander. Our goal is to transform bystanders into allies!"
The events are part of a national bystander intervention
initiative launched last December with the release of a series of
online videos directed by Richard
Lui as a volunteer on behalf of the Asian American
Journalists Association (AAJA). A public service announcement for
the program is currently airing on Comcast channels nationwide and
ran in AMC movie theaters across all 50 states.
"In my reporting on anti-Asian hate and attacks against Black,
Latina/o/x, and LGBTQIA+ communities over the past ten years, I've
seen how bystanders want to help but aren't sure how," said
Richard Lui. "The need to equip
folks to safely intervene and de-escalate a situation is greater
than ever."
"At Wells Fargo, we are committed to creating a culture with
broad representation of who we are, how we think, and how we make
decisions. Having an inclusive environment in which differences and
perspectives are respected and valued is both a business imperative
and the right thing to do," added Kimberly Bertz, Wells Fargo Head of Diversity
Equity & Inclusion Strategy and Employee Affairs. "As an
organization that operates in many cities and neighborhoods where
hate incidents have occurred, this also is a concern for Wells
Fargo. The bystander intervention workshops are a great way of
celebrating belonging, because they create a sense of unity and
connectedness among individuals, while reminding us all of the
important role we play in keeping our communities safe."
About Right To Be
Right To Be is a people-powered
movement working to build a world free of harassment and filled
with humanity. We are a team of educators, motivators, and
facilitators who are listening, guiding, and cheering you on. Every
day, we train hundreds of people to respond to, intervene in, and
heal from harassment. We hold space for people experiencing
harassment to share their stories for affirmation and support. And
we prepare new leaders to create workplaces, schools, and
communities around the world that are filled with humanity. For
more information or how you can get involved, visit
www.righttobe.org. Follow Right To Be on Twitter and Facebook at,
@righttobeorg.
About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading
financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in
three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the
U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S.
We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage
products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance,
through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking
and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking,
and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortune's 2022 rankings
of America's largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the
company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable,
inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small
business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy.
News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also
available at Wells Fargo Stories.
Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com |
Twitter: @WellsFargo
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SOURCE Right To Be