Stories you shouldn’t miss:
1. Hate crimes against Latinos surged in California last year, jumping nearly 47 percent, the CoCo Times reports, citing newly released data from the state Attorney General’s Office. The increase in hate crimes came at a time when anti-immigrant sentiment has been growing nationwide. Overall, however, the total number of hate crimes in the state remained steady in 2010, and even decreased against gays and Jews. Blacks in California continue to be the victim of the highest percentage of hate crimes.
2. In Oakland this week, a gay musician was the victim of a hate crime, as he and a bandmate were beaten outside Club Paradiso, The Bay Citizen reports. The musician, Brontez Purnell, said they were attacked by two black men with dreadlocks, who shouted anti-gay slurs and told them that if they were “in Jamaica, they’d be dead.” Oakland reported fifteen total hate crimes last year.
