News

The Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice invited us to participate in a panel discussion focused on racial discrimination and hate crimes. The panel featured several distinguished speakers, including Greg Hocker - President, and Gary Caunitis - Public Information Officer of the Millville Volunteer Fire Company; L. Kurt Bacon - President of the Lower Sussex County Chapter of the NAACP; John Taylor - Deputy Attorney General; Jennifer Kutney-Soper - Victim/Witness Social Worker with the Department of Justice; Patty Maloney - President of SOAH (Speak Out Against Hate); Dr. Angelo Reynolds  from Transformers Academy, who specializes in trauma counseling; and Glen Marshal - Public Information Officer from the Lewes Fire Company.

The meeting was well attended, with participants joining both in person and online. The Millville Volunteer Fire Company (MVFC) discussed their response to a recent incident and provided guidance on taking swift and decisive action against discriminatory behavior. The Lewes Fire Department addressed similar topics and highlighted their outreach efforts within the community.

Dr. Angelo Reynolds of Transformers Academy emphasized the long-term traumatic effects that discrimination and hatred have on victims, witnesses, and the communities involved. Patty Maloney of SOAH shared strategies for effectively communicating the message to stop hate and detailed the resources available to assist communities. Kurt Bacon discussed how fire companies can target minority communities to enhance recruitment, offering the support of the NAACP in these efforts. John Taylor, Deputy Attorney General, alongside Jennifer Kutney-Soper, explained how the state of Delaware is prepared to actively prosecute hate crimes. They stressed the importance of encouraging individuals to report incidents to the police so that perpetrators can face justice and victims can receive the protection they need.

The audience was then given the opportunity to ask questions of the panel, and the conversation lasted for approximately 90 minutes. Attendees asked both general and specific questions, seeking more details on policy changes, how they can participate, and how they can involve the panel member's organizations in their efforts. The discussion was led by Executive Director Joseph Thomas of the Southern Delaware Alliance for Racial Justice. 

Thank you for inviting us to be part of this speaker panel; it was a positive learning experience for all who attended.