Montgomery Community Media

Gov. Larry Hogan announced during a press conference on April 9 the formation of a workgroup to address the rise in violence targeting the Asian American community, “This workgroup, one of the first of its kind in the country, will be composed of a wide ranging group of experts and advocates across various disciplines who will […]

In light of the March 16 shooting spree in Atlanta that left eight people dead, including six Asian women, local and state leaders are speaking out against hate crimes, particularly among the Asian American community which has seen an uptick in incidents during the pandemic. However, Georgia officials said it was too early to say […]

The back of a car parked on Montgomery Avenue in Takoma Park had a swastika spray painted on it, according to Takoma Park Police. On Dec. 18, police responded to a report of vandalism to a car. Police are calling the incident a hate crime. The investigation is ongoing and anyone with information is asked […]

Film Screenings and Discussion Explore Lynchings in Montgomery County Two films will be screened during a community forum titled “Remembering the Past to Protect the Future” Wednesday evening in Silver Spring. The films include “This Little Light of Mine: The Legacy of Fannie Lou Hamer,” a documentary by Robin Hamilton of ARound Robin Productions and […]

Councilmember Evan Glass presented a proclamation to recognize International Transgender Day of Visibility at Tuesday’s council meeting. For the past 10 years, Transgender Day of Visibility has been recognized nationally on March 31, but this is the first time it’s been officially recognized in the county. Glass said this proclamation was especially important to him, […]

Kate Bradley, the principal of Bannockburn Elementary School in Bethesda, emailed parents Wednesday about a swastika and curse word found drawn inside a boys bathroom stall. According to Bradley, the “a 5th grade patrol” officer discovered the expletive and antisemitic symbol Tuesday in the bathroom located in Green Hallway, which is primarily for 4th and 5th-grade […]

Jack Smith, the superintendent for Montgomery County Public Schools, addressed the recent acts of hate that have occurred in the high schools. Since December, there have been four known instances of hate at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, and Winston Churchill High School in Potomac. Richard Montgomery’s principal confirmed that in January, the school […]

Richard Montgomery High School emailed parents this weekend about two hate crimes that occured on school grounds over the course of a month. The most recent incident involved a swastika that was spray painted in orange on “the side of a school building facing the stadium.” In the letter sent to families, Kiera Butler, Richard […]

Montgomery County has approved $200,000 for the Faith-based Facilities Security Operating Grant. The grant aims to cover security costs for faith-based communities―such as churches, synagogues, mosques, etc.―experiencing hate crimes. The county has officially opened the application for faith communities to apply for a grant of up to $20,000. Not only does the grant cover the cost […]

New data from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting Program revealed that hate crimes increased by 17 percent in 2017 compared to the previous year. According to the data, a total of 7,175 hate crimes were reported to the more than 16,000 law enforcement agencies that participated in the FBI’s Hate Crime Statistics Program compared with 6,121 […]