Greg Lebon, an award-winning sand sculpture artist, re-created Los Angeles County landmarks as sand sculptures on Saturday, Aug. 7, at Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades to call attention to Los Angeles County’s LA vs. Hate campaign that aims to stop the rise of hate crimes and discrimination in Los Angeles County.
Art installations are used as eye-catching inspirations to promote a sense of inclusion and respect for all who live in the county. The county has partnered with TaskForce to create other installations that have included an outdoor photography exhibit by teens in East Los Angeles showing what “love” means to them and a digital exhibit of fingernail art created by nail art artists. TaskForce’s motto is “Create Culture to Change Culture.”
The sand sculpture display had been planned for summer 2020 but due to beach closures, to stop crowds gathering brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, the event was rescheduled for this summer.
The LA vs. Hate campaign, established in 2019 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, uses a network of community agencies to create awareness of the problem and to provide various educational materials to reduce racism. The program includes both a hotline and an online option to report incidents. It also includes follow-up support for those who file a report.
When people report hate crimes, acts or bullying to the system, it helps in identifying areas in the county that need additional educational or crime prevention help. The campaign’s first report on hate acts received, covering Oct. 1, 2019 to Sept. 30, 2020, is available to read on the website. It includes a chart of numbers of hate incidents submitted by the public and where the incidents happened in individual cities and communities in the county.
The public is encouraged to report hate crimes, discrimination and bullying by calling 2-1-1 or filing a report on the website 211la.org
Details about the LA vs. Hate campaign here: www.211la.org/la-vs-hate