Unite Against Hate
Why Georgia must pass hate crimes legislation now.
In February 2016, Anthony Gooden Jr. and Marquez Tolbert were sound asleep when they were doused with scalding hot water. The couple suffered severe burns and Anthony was hospitalized for five weeks. Anthony and Marquez were attacked because they are gay. The prosecutor said she would have considered a hate crimes approach to the case if Georgia had a hate crime law.
In November 2018, 21-year-old Georgia resident Maura Binkley was at a hot yoga studio when a man walked in and opened fire. Five people were injured and two women were killed, including Maura. The police concluded that the shooter was motivated by his hatred of women based on his history of racism and misogyny, including sexual assault. Maura’s friends and family were left to grapple with both the loss of an exceptional young woman with a bright future ahead of her and the vile message sent by this attack.
Unfortunately, Anthony, Marquez, and Maura’s stories are not unique. Last year in Athens, we faced antisemitic vandalism on UGA’s campus. Just up the road in Gainesville, Georgia, a 16-year-old girl was charged for plotting a racially-motivated knife attack to kill black worshippers at Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church.
And this week, in Floyd County, three members of a white supremacist group called The Base were arrested on charges of conspiracy to commit murder. In online, encrypted chat rooms, the group had discussed the “creation of a white ethno-state,” with plans to commit acts of violence against minorities, including African-Americans and Jewish-Americans.
Hate-motivated violence has escalated across the country and in our own community. Racism, antisemitism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, Islamophobia. Our news cycle is dominated by acts of hatred, white nationalism, and hateful rhetoric.
It’s time for Georgia to pass comprehensive hate crime legislation.
Between 2016 and 2017, hate crimes rose nationally by 17 percent. While violent crimes have decreased in Georgia, hate crimes have risen at an alarming rate. According to the FBI, 70 percent of hate crimes committed in Georgia in 2018 were motivated by race or ethnicity and 20 percent were motivated by sexual identity.
When I look around and see hate on the rise, I feel scared. I’m scared that one day I’ll wake up and hear about a loved one or a neighbor who was attacked — attacked for the color of their skin, their immigration status, their sexual orientation, their gender identity, or their religious beliefs.
Hate crime reporting can be a valuable tool for pinpointing acts of hatred and preventing future attacks. Although reporting is already required by all federal agencies, it remains optional for local and state law enforcement. Georgia’s legislature has chosen not to require reporting of hate crimes.
Georgia is one of just four states in the country without a hate crime law. This absence in the law allows prejudice and violence to go unnoticed and unpunished. A hate crime law would include mandatory reporting of hate crimes by local law enforcement and increased funding for police training on how to handle hate crimes.
Our law should recognize the unique role that hate crimes play in our society, sending a message to an entire community that they are unwelcome and unsafe. Hate crimes affect more than just the victims — premeditated attacks sow mistrust and fear among others who identify with the victim. Hate in our community and our state threatens public safety.
In 2019, a bipartisan, LGBTQ-inclusive hate crime bill (HB 426) passed the Georgia State House. While many Democrats and Republicans worked together to pass this legislation, I was alarmed to see that Representative Houston Gaines voted against the bill.
I am launching my campaign to represent House District 117 in the Georgia State Legislature with a rally calling on our leaders to #UniteAgainstHate and pass comprehensive, LGBTQ-inclusive hate crime legislation now.
Three years ago, my husband, Knowa, and I founded the Athens Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade and Music Fest. As we celebrate his life and legacy, we must continue to fight for justice and show that hate has no place in our communities.
Will you join me in calling on our leaders to #UniteAgainstHate and pass comprehensive hate crime legislation now?
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” — Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
About Mokah Jasmine Johnson
Mokah Jasmine Johnson is an adult educator, civil rights activist and mother. As president and co-founder of the nonprofit Athens Anti-Discrimination Movement (AADM) she advocates for racial and social justice, helps citizens protect their rights through education and activism, and works to improve race relations and community policing. She led successful local efforts to pass an anti-discrimination ordinance and repeal cash bail.
To learn more about Mokah and her vision for the 117th District, please visit mokahforgeorgia.com or email info@mokahforgeorgia.com.
You can also view her official campaign announcement video.
