MAYOR DAVID DINKINS, REP. CHARLES RANGEL, HONORED WITH LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS ‘Greater Than Hate Coalition’ LAUNCHED TO FIGHT AGAINST POLITICAL EXTREMISTS

Eight of the nation's leading human rights and equality organizations – the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Everytown for Gun Safety, the NAACP, the National Education Association (NEA), the National Women's Law Center, Equality Federation, Asians Fighting Injustice, and the National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) –announced the launch of the Greater Than Hate Coalition, a collective, multi-racial, multi-cultural movement with the aim of fighting back against extremist politicians and their growing and loud campaign of hate.

The Black Stars News 2015 Annual Awards Dinner will honor Mayor David Dinkins, Rep. Charles Rangel, Rep. Yvette Clarke, R. Donahue Peebles, Barbara Arnwine, Inez Barron, Sabrina Lamb, Dr. Rudy Crew, Stephen Byrd, Alia Jones, and the Central Park Five survivors of gross injustice on December 18 from 6:00pm –10:00pm at MIST Harlem, 46 West 116th Street

At a time when extremists dominate the news cycle and actively spread fear, the Greater Than Hate Coalition represents the vast majority of Americans who believe that hate has no place in our society and that everyone — no matter who they are, who they love, or how they identify — can live freely.

The Greater Than Hate Coalition will serve as a public education campaign and rapid response team that will:

 Call out the alarming surge of attacks against marginalized people;

“Each honoree chosen for recognition has demonstrated exceptional leadership and vision in her or his respective profession or endeavor and in some significant measure has contributed towards creating a more just society in this country,” says Black Star News founder and publisher Milton Allimadi. “Obviously much work needs to be done here and around the world.”

In Congress and in state houses across the country, extremists are enacting discriminatory legislation, banning books and abortion, spewing hateful rhetoric and propaganda, and preventing debate about sensible public safety measures that could protect the lives of queer and transgender people, people of color, women, people with disabilities, children, teachers, and public workers. Since January 1, 2023, 435+ antiLGBTQ bills, including more than 185 bills that specifically target transgender people have been introduced in state legislatures, according to the Human Rights Campaign

As of March 1 of this year, 37 state legislatures have introduced abortion bans that would ban all or most abortions. This hateful legislation and rhetoric has led to a staggering increase in violence and discrimination, especially directed towards women, people of color, and LGBTQ+ Americans. In 2022, for example, there was a 3x increase in anti-LGBTQ+ incidents and in 2021, there were at least 57 reported deaths of transgender and gender nonconforming people — 73 percent of these were with a gun. According to the National Abortion Federation, reports of violence against abortion clinics increased 125 percent from 2019 to 2020. In the same year, death threats against abortion providers more than doubled.

 Recruit more people to collective action