Statewide — California lawmakers and civil rights officials sounded alarms over persistently high hate crime levels, the disproportionate targeting of Black Californians and the role of online radicalization during an Aug. 4 hearing of the Assembly Select Committee on Racism, Hate and Xenophobia.
Assemblymember Corey Jackson (D-Moreno Valley), who chairs the committee, opened the hearing by arguing that hate is increasingly fueled by dehumanizing rhetoric, political scapegoating and digital platforms that can amplify extremist dogma.
“Hate crimes are at some of their highest levels ever recorded in the state of California,” Jackson said. “Unfortunately, this hostility is fueled by the deliberate dehumanization, scapegoating, and targeting of historically marginalized communities for political and economic gain.”
The hearing, held at the state Capitol, brought testimony from the California Department of Justice and the California Commission on the State of Hate.
Regina Garza, special assistant attorney general with the California Department of Justice, presented findings from the state’s 2025 hate crime report.
California recorded 1,955 reported hate crime events in 2025, down 3.4% from 2,023 in 2024.
But racial and ethnic hate crime events increased 6.2%, from 1,011 to 1,074.
Anti-Black or African American bias remained the state’s most frequently reported racial or ethnic hate crime motivation, increasing 2.8% from 494 events in 2024 to 508 in 2025.
Anti-Hispanic or Latino events climbed 30.3%, from 198 to 258, while anti-citizenship status events increased from 16 to 40.
Garza cautioned that the figures represent crimes reported to law enforcement rather than the full scope of hate in California.
“We know that hate crimes are historically underreported,” Garza said, adding that the statistics should be viewed as “indicators of reported criminal activity rather than a comprehensive measure of hate in our state.”
Professor Brian Levin, chair of the California Commission on the State of Hate, pointed to survey research suggesting a much wider problem.
An estimated 3.1 million Californians experienced at least one act of hate over a one-year period, while approximately 649,000 experienced hate potentially criminal in nature, including physical assault or property damage, according to statewide survey findings highlighted by the California Civil Rights Department.
Levin told lawmakers that communities of color, LGBTQIA+ people and people with disabilities experienced disproportionate rates of hate, while African Americans had the highest number of victimizations among groups examined.
Jackson focused much of his questioning on online radicalization, particularly among young people.
He argued California needs to develop ways to counter extremist messaging before it translates into violence.
“The state of California does not have its own way of countering that radicalization online,” Jackson said. “We don’t have an equal tool.”
Levin said social media companies have retreated from content moderation and suggested policymakers consider measures including digital literacy training for young users, stronger content moderation and mechanisms that could steer people away from extremist material.
The discussion also intersected with legislation introduced this year following recommendations from the Commission on the State of Hate.
Jackson authored Assembly Bill (AB) 1578, which would require anti-hate speech training for elected state and local officials as part of existing training requirements beginning in 2028.
Assemblymember Josh Lowenthal introduced AB 1803, with Jackson as a principal coauthor, to incorporate anti-hate speech instruction into workplace training requirements.
The measures are part of a three-bill package developed from commission recommendations.
Jackson said opponents have argued such training could infringe on First Amendment rights, a contention Levin rejected so long as the government does not punish particular viewpoints.
Jackson noted a pattern. Although overall reported hate crimes declined in 2025, anti-Black events increased.
“There’s never been a time where African Americans have not been at the top,” Jackson said. “Never been.”
Jackson questioned why responses often concentrate on populations experiencing sudden spikes in hate while anti-Black hate has remained persistently high.
“What should we say to African Americans in the state of California,” Jackson asked.
Garza pointed to Attorney General Rob Bonta’s community roundtables and partnerships among government, law enforcement, victim advocates and community organizations as part of the state’s response.
She said effective strategies must also be developed locally because communities experience and report hate differently.
“A lot of this is very much at a local level,” Garza said, emphasizing the need to give communities resources and information to develop responses tailored to their circumstances.
