Conference attendees with Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson. (Courtesy photo)

About 350 business professionals, educators, nonprofit leaders, community members and youth gathered in Long Beach for Confluence Rising’s fifth annual Roots of Justice Convening, a forum focused on confronting hate and building more inclusive communities, schools and workplaces in California and across the country.   

The conference, held at The Grand Long Beach Hotel in February and hosted by Confluence Rising — formerly the California Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ), featured a series of speakers and discussions.   

Reflecting on the conference, Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson, who spoke at the event, said, “Every generation inherits institutions it did not design — but we leave our fingerprints behind on the systems for the next generations to inherit.” 

Lecia Brooks, a national civil rights expert, delivered the keynote address focused on the growing influence of extremist ideologies in the United States. 

Christian supremacy ideology — the belief that Christians have a God-given right to control society and politics — is now a central theology of the country’s political Right, according to Brooks. 

“Many Christian supremacists are dominionists,” said Brooks. 

“That is the theocratic idea that Christians are called by God to exercise dominion over every aspect of society — political and cultural institutions. This thing is real, and this thing is the biggest threat.” 

Brooks, a former chief of staff at the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC), said Christian supremacy currently animates hate ideologies found in anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim and anti-Semitic groups. 

“If you count yourself as Christian, you need to reclaim this banner and turn it around,” she said.  

Brooks, who has testified before Congress on “How to Stop White Supremacy,” broke down findings from the SPLC’s 2024 Year in Hate & Extremism report. 

According to the report, there are 1,371 hate and antigovernment groups in the United States, including 97 in California, and many are gaining influence in local, state and national government bodies. 

“There is no hierarchy in the attacks from different hate groups,” she said. “It’s all hate.” 

Brooks, who is based in Alabama, said anti-Semitism is a central component of the White power movement. Anti-Semitic groups, she said, believe Jewish people have outsized global influence, distort and deny the Holocaust, and cast Jews as opportunists. 

Anti-Muslim hate groups, she added, spread conspiracies portraying Muslims as a subversive threat. 

“These groups have a mix of racism and anti-immigrant ideas,” she said. “Anytime someone puts out one of these lies or conspiracy theories and you hear it, reject it. Stop it. This is up to each and every one of us.” 

Brooks said anti-immigrant groups brand immigrants as criminals, “drains on society,” and cultural threats to the United States, while anti-LGBTQ groups use demonizing rhetoric. 

Black people, she noted, remain the most frequent victims of race-based hate crimes. 

“The false belief that anti-Black racism no longer exists is a lie,” Brooks said. “Black people have always been the number one target of race-based hate crimes.” 

While the SPLC’s mission is to stop hate groups, Brooks said the organization has also expanded its focus to helping families and educators shield young people from extremist influence — or intervene if they have already been indoctrinated. 

“They are out to get your kids, so you need to pay attention,” she said. “White young men between the ages of 13 and 30 are prime targets for these groups. Buying into lies around reverse discrimination or ‘you don’t have a place’ — they are looking for your young person. You need to talk to your kids, your grandkids, about what it can mean to be White in a truly inclusive, multiracial democracy.” 

Brooks, an alumna of Confluence’s NCCJ Brotherhood Sisterhood Camp, also hosted an on-stage discussion with four youths who recently participated in the camp, which aims to empower students to build more inclusive communities. 

One high school student said she was shocked by the number of hate groups. 

“It makes me fearful for my safety and also the safety of my peers,” she said. 

Another student said the data left her unsettled. 

“I know youth are supposed to be the future, and we are supposed to do something to combat these things, but just seeing the sheer number is crazy to me,” she said. “We need to figure out how to stop all of this.” 

A third student, who is Mexican American, recalled a camp activity focused on hateful stereotypes. 

“These labels mean absolutely nothing,” he said. “There is a lot of hate in the world — don’t worry about it. You have other people around you. Let’s create a good environment. I was glad to be reassured that these labels mean nothing.” 

In addition to Richardson, the conference also featured remarks from Long Beach City Councilmember and Confluence Rising Board Chair Megan Kerr, Confluence Rising Executive Director Reena Hajat Carroll, and Long Beach City College Board of Trustees President Uduak-Joe Ntuk. 

During the panel “Sustaining Equity in Today’s Climate,” Martel Johnson of Ralphs Grocery Company, Dr. Bobbie Porter of CSU Dominguez Hills, Dr. Sarah Payne of the Azusa Unified School District, and Maikiko James of Women in Film Los Angeles discussed how workplaces can advance equity and justice for marginalized communities while balancing the need for individuals to care for themselves and others. 

Johnson said inclusion and representation matter in business. 

“Whether it be Black History Month, Women’s History Month, Asian Pacific Islander Month — how do we show up and share those stories so we can realize we are more alike than different?” he said. “Everybody brings value, and the more value we have at the table, it’s like a buffet. We fill ourselves when we learn more about each other.”