Confronting the new faces of hate in America

For many, the election of President Barack Obama appeared to close the book on a long history of inequality in America. But the spate of racially-motivated hate crimes and violence against minorities and immigrants that occurred before and after Election Day makes clear that a final victory over prejudice and racial hostility remains elusive. It is time for our nation to redouble its efforts to combat the commission of hate crimes in America. This report is an update of our 2004 report, Cause for Concern. Sadly, five years later, the problem of hate crimes continues to be a significant national concern that demands priority attention. The purpose of this report is to highlight the need for a coordinated response by every sector of society to eradicate this problem.