Effort launched to brand Dayton a place ‘United Against Hate’

DAYTON — A coalition of local groups is launching a campaign against hate-speech and the rally planned for next week on Dayton’s courthouse square.

The group, coordinated by the Dayton Human Relations Council, is calling May 13 to June 13 “United Against Hate Month.”

“(It) is a call for local civic action across the Dayton region to stand united against hate and to promote a culture of inclusion and respect,” organizers of the coalition said in an announcement Tuesday.

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The movement’s goal is to allow residents to “show that hate is not a Dayton value…”

The group has created www.unitedagainsthatedayton.com and designed messaging intended to be used by supporters around the weekend of the rally.

“Hate is an open attack on tolerance, decency and overall community health,” said Erica Fields, the executive director of Dayton’s Human Relations Council.

Dayton Mayor Nan Whaley said “Although we may choose to express our anger and frustration about this event differently, our community has certainly shown that we are united against hate.”

A group based in southern Indiana that has a white-supremacist ideology is planning to hold a rally in downtown Dayton May 25. The city and the group this week reached agreement on limits for the event which are meant reduce the possibility that the group’s even, or protests against them, will lead to violence.