Oregon launches ‘You Belong’ campaign amid ‘alarming’ rise in hate, bias crimes
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A new campaign from the Oregon Department of Justice aims to bring awareness to the state’s Bias Response Hotline amid a surge in bias and hate crimes and incidents, officials said.
The “You Belong” campaign, launched Monday, will feature six public service announcements including radio and social media ads, a social media influencer campaign, and billboards in Portland, Gresham, Salem, and Eugene.
The campaign comes as state officials found an “alarming” surge in hate crime reports.
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“Every Oregonian should feel like they belong here but acts of bias and hatred rob people of that sense of belonging. To anyone who has experienced acts of hatred and bias, you are not alone. You belong,” Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum said in a press release announcing the campaign.
Videos from the “You Belong” campaign, on the Oregon DOJ’s website, show Oregonians sharing their experiences with hate or bias and discuss the importance of the Bias Response Hotline.
The campaign comes after Attorney General Rosenblum created a task force in 2018 to address a spike in hate crimes across Oregon. After convening the task force, Rosenblum supported the passage of Senate Bill 577 in 2019, which defined bias crimes and incidents in Oregon and created resources to respond to the crimes — including the Bias Response Hotline, which officials said is the first of its kind in the nation.
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The hotline launched in 2020, and serves as a confidential, non-emergency line — staffed by multi-lingual advocates — to help victims of bias or hate crimes and offers trauma-informed support.
The Oregon DOJ said there is an “alarming” and “escalating” trend of bias-related crimes and incidents based on data from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission.
From 2022 to 2023, the Bias Response Hotline had a 25% increase in reports (with a total of 3,623 reports in 2023) and a 229% increase in reports since its creation in 2020, according to the Oregon DOJ.
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“Bias and discrimination inflict enduring wounds on individuals and often disrupt the sense of safety and belonging within entire communities,” said Fay Stetz-Waters, DOJ Director of Civil Rights and Social Justice. “Reporting empowers us all to combat hate. Together, we can cultivate an Oregon culture where bias and discrimination have no place.”
The hotline can be reached at 1-844-924-BIAS (2427) and reports can be made online through the Oregon DOJ website.
The Oregon DOJ’s Civil Rights Unit encourages anyone who has experienced or witnessed discrimination, bias, or hate crimes to report the incident to the confidential hotline.
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