Philadelphia, PA, August 18, 2017 … The Anti-Defamation League today commended ten mayors in the Philadelphia region who pledged to fight extremism and bigotry by signing the Mayors’ Compact to Combat Hate, Extremism and Bigotry. The Compact, a joint initiative of the U.S. Conference of Mayors and the Anti-Defamation League, was signed by more than 300 mayors nationwide, and provides local governments with a 10-point plan to effectively fight prejudice in their communities.
In the eastern Pennsylvania, southern New Jersey, and Delaware region, the signatories included:
- Kim Bracey, York, Pennsylvania
- Chuck Cahn, Cherry Hill, New Jersey
- William L. Courtright, Scranton, Pennsylvania
- Robert Donchez, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
- Jim Kenney, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Josh Maxwell, Downingtown, Pennsylvania
- Salvatore J. Panto Jr., Easton, Pennsylvania
- Eric Papenfuse, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Ed Pawlowski, Allentown, Pennsylvania
- Mike Purzycki, Wilmington, Delaware
“We thank the ten regional mayors who signed the Mayors’ Compact to Combat Hate,” said Nancy K. Baron-Baer, ADL Regional Director. “These elected officials have sent an important message to their cities and towns – that our region will not tolerate bigotry. By signing the Compact, these mayors are committing to speaking out strongly against white supremacy and all other forms of extremism. But more importantly, they are committing to taking real action to protect everyone in their communities.”
Under the Compact, the mayors pledged to vigorously speak out against all acts of hate; punish bias-motivated violence to the fullest extent of the law; encourage more anti-bias and anti-hate education in schools and police forces; encourage community activities that celebrate their population’s cultural and ethnic diversity; and ensure civil rights laws are aggressively enforced and hate crimes laws are as strong as possible.
“Charlottesville made clear that we have a lot more work to do in our communities and we can’t wait a minute longer to step up our efforts,” said Jonathan Greenblatt, ADL CEO and National Director. “The U.S. Conference of Mayors deserves credit for their leadership. Mayors have always been strong supporters of civil rights and counterweights to those who discriminate. ADL could not have found a better partner to work with against hate.”
Mayors who wish to sign the Compact can do so through the U.S. Conference of Mayors website.
To learn more about the Compact, please visit https://mayorscompact.org/.
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The Anti-Defamation League was founded in 1913 to stop the defamation of the Jewish people and to secure justice and fair treatment to all. Today it is the world’s leading organization combating anti-Semitism, exposing hate groups, training law enforcement on hate crimes, developing anti-bias curricula for students, countering cyber-hate and relentlessly pursuing equal rights for all. Follow us on Twitter: @ADLPhiladelphia