Along with 239 other mayors across the nation, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser signed the Mayor’s Compact to Combat Hate, Extremism, and Bigotry in order to unite against extremism and bigotry.
The Mayor’s Compact was announced today in response to President Donald Trump’s press conference and subsequent statements on the violent demonstrations at a “Unite the Right” rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. In the Mayor’s Compact, it reads:
“Dark forces of extremism and violent bigotry are rearing their ugly heads. We are now seeing efforts in our states and at the highest levels of our government to weaken existing civil rights policies and reduce their enforcement.
We have seen an increase in hate violence, xenophobic rhetoric, and discriminatory actions that target Muslims, Jews, and other minorities. We will not permit them to succeed.”
Other leaders who have joined the effort include mayors from cities like San Francisco, New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Atlanta.
The 10 components of the Compact:
- Expressly rejecting extremism, white supremacy, and all forms of bigotry
- Denouncing all acts of hate wherever they occur
- Ensuring public safety while protecting free speech and other basic constitutional rights
- Calling for fully-resourced law enforcement and civil rights investigations of domestic terrorism and hate crimes
- Elevating and prioritizing anti-bias and anti-hate programs in our nation’s schools
- Supporting targeted communities and bringing together civic and community leaders to build trust
- Celebrating diversity, promoting inclusivity, and challenging bias
- Promoting law enforcement training on responding to and reporting hate incidents, hate crimes, and domestic terrorism
- Encouraging residents in their communities to report hate incidents and crimes, including using hot lines and online tools
- Maintaining civil rights enforcement and strengthening hate crime laws when necessary
The last time Bowser joined other mayors to take action against the Trump administration was in June 2017 after the U.S. pulled out of the Paris climate deal.
In her statement, Bowser said that the District will continue to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement, saying, “Going forward, our commitment to wind and solar will not yield, and we will move forward with building a more sustainable D.C.”
Mayor Shane Bemis of Gresham, Oregon, told Curbed that President Trump’s actions have consequences, and his “lack of moral clarity is destroying a storied political institution. There is clearly an absence of moral leadership from the president.”
• 240 mayors join compact to 'fight hate, extremism' in wake of Charlottesville violence [Curbed]
• The Mayor’s Compact Signatories [Official Website]