The Commission was founded in 1971 to seek out the causes of conflict, discrimination and intolerance and eliminate those causes. Among its many accomplishments, the Commission began reporting on hate activity in the early 1990’s and continues to publish an annual hate crime report. In recent years the report has shown an alarming uptick in reported hate motivated activity, most notably in 2020, an 1800% increase in hate incidents targeting those who are or are perceived to be Asian American.

In response to the multi-year increase and the 2020 surge of hate activity, the Board of Supervisors, by a unanimous vote of those present, reaffirmed its commitment to eradicating hate when it approved a $1 million contract with the Orange County Human Relations Council. The action paves the way for the Orange County Human Relations Commission to enhance and expand its efforts to address anti-hate crime in Orange County.

The Funding will:

1. Improve accessibility to reporting platforms and resources that meet languages, cultural and diversity needs.
2. Improve community understanding and engagement to address hate and bias.
3. Expand the network of organizations that engage in anti-hate work.
4. Create and implement mobile-friendly ways to report hate.