WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) – President Joe Biden will host a White House summit next month aimed at combating a wave of hate-fueled violence in the U.S. as he works to fulfill his campaign promise to “heal the soul of nation.”
The White House announced Friday that Biden will host the United We Stand Summit on Sept. 15, highlighting the “corrosive effects” of violence on public safety and democracy. Advocates pushed Biden to hold the event after 10 black men were killed at a supermarket in Buffalo, NY, in May, also aiming to address a spate of hate-fueled violence in cities including El Paso, Texas; Pittsburgh; and Oak Creek, Wis.
“As President Biden said in Buffalo after the horrific mass shooting earlier this year, in the battle for our nation’s soul, ‘We must all get involved in this great American cause,'” the secretary of state said in a statement. press Karine Jean-Pierre. . “The United We Stand Summit will present an important opportunity for Americans of all races, religions, regions, political affiliations and walks of life to take up this cause together.”
“ Participants should include civil rights groups, faith leaders, business leaders, law enforcement, gun violence prevention advocates, former members of violent hate groups, victims of extremist violence, and cultural figures. “
Biden will deliver a keynote speech at the gathering, which the White House says will include civil rights groups, faith leaders, business leaders, law enforcement, gun violence prevention advocates, former members of violent gangs of hatred, victims of extremist and cultural violence. the figures. The White House said it also aims to bring together Democrats and Republicans, as well as political leaders at the federal, state and local levels to unite against hate-motivated violence.
Biden, a Democrat, has often cited the 2017 white supremacist protest in Charlottesville, Va., as he came out of political retirement to challenge then-President Donald Trump in 2020. He promised during that campaign to work for overcome political and social divisions and to promote national unity, but the fulfillment of this cause remains a work in progress.
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“ “What’s important to us is addressing mental health, gun control reform, addressing misinformation, disinformation and misinformation.” “
Sindy Benavides, CEO of the League of United Latin American Citizens, said the genesis of the summit came after the Buffalo massacre, as her organization along with the Anti-Defamation League, the National Action Network and other groups wanted to pressure the Biden administration to more directly address extremist threats.
“As a civil rights organization, a social justice organization, we fight against this every day, and we wanted to make sure that we recognize that the government needs to have a leadership role in addressing right-wing extremism,” she said.
The White House did not describe the lineup of speakers or attendees, saying it would be close to the event. He also would not anticipate any specific policy announcements from Biden. Officials noted that Biden last year signed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act and released the nation’s first National Strategy to Counter Domestic Terrorism.
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Benavides said Biden’s hosting of the summit would help push the country to address threats of hate-inspired violence, but also said she hoped for “long-term solutions” to come out of the summit.
“What’s important to us is addressing mental health, gun control reform, addressing misinformation, disinformation and misinformation,” she said. “We want policy makers to focus on common sense solutions so we don’t see this kind of violence in our communities. And we want to see the implementation of policies that reduce violence.”
