RIGHT TO BE HOSTS BYSTANDER INTERVENTION WORKSHOPS TO COMBAT RISE IN HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION

Hosted alongside Wells Fargo and NBC News/MSNBC anchor Richard Lui; seminars open to community organizations will take place at AMC Theatres in New York and San Francisco in March

NEW YORK, March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — In response to the alarming rise in hate incidents across major U.S. cities, Right To Be (formerly Hollaback!), a nonprofit working to end harassment in all its forms, and Wells Fargo have joined forces to hold bystander intervention workshops at AMC Theatres in New York City (March 9) and San Francisco (March 15).

Hosted alongside NBC News / MSNBC anchor Richard Lui and made possible with additional support by Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC and AARP, the events will feature an educational session covering the five D’s of bystander intervention (Distract, Delegate, Document, Delay, Direct) and a panel discussion with community leaders on bias-motivated harassment. The workshops aim to educate individuals on the proactive measures they can take to safely de-escalate situations and assist victims. To learn more about bystander intervention, visit RightToBe.org.

Hate crimes in the U.S. have increased steadily in recent years, with 7,262 cases reported in 2021, per FBI data, marking the third-highest total in the last decade. Recent data suggests that crimes motivated by race, religion, gender, or other factors continued to rise in major American cities last year. New York City and San Francisco were selected as the first two locations for bystander intervention workshops due to their high number of reported hate crimes.

“We can witness harassment in various forms, from covert racial microaggressions in everyday life to overt gender discrimination in the workplace. Oftentimes, we want to diffuse the situation but don’t know how,” said Emily May, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Right To Be. “These workshops will empower the public with the skills they need to navigate instances of harassment as a bystander. Our goal is to transform bystanders into allies!”

The events are part of a national bystander intervention initiative launched last December with the release of a series of online videos directed by Richard Lui as a volunteer on behalf of the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA). A public service announcement for the program is currently airing on Comcast channels nationwide and ran in AMC movie theaters across all 50 states. 

“In my reporting on anti-Asian hate and attacks against Black, Latina/o/x, and LGBTQIA+ communities over the past ten years, I’ve seen how bystanders want to help but aren’t sure how,” said Richard Lui. “The need to equip folks to safely intervene and de-escalate a situation is greater than ever.”

“At Wells Fargo, we are committed to creating a culture with broad representation of who we are, how we think, and how we make decisions. Having an inclusive environment in which differences and perspectives are respected and valued is both a business imperative and the right thing to do,” added Kimberly Bertz, Wells Fargo Head of Diversity Equity & Inclusion Strategy and Employee Affairs. “As an organization that operates in many cities and neighborhoods where hate incidents have occurred, this also is a concern for Wells Fargo. The bystander intervention workshops are a great way of celebrating belonging, because they create a sense of unity and connectedness among individuals, while reminding us all of the important role we play in keeping our communities safe.”

About Right To Be
Right To Be is a people-powered movement working to build a world free of harassment and filled with humanity. We are a team of educators, motivators, and facilitators who are listening, guiding, and cheering you on. Every day, we train hundreds of people to respond to, intervene in, and heal from harassment. We hold space for people experiencing harassment to share their stories for affirmation and support. And we prepare new leaders to create workplaces, schools, and communities around the world that are filled with humanity. For more information or how you can get involved, visit www.righttobe.org. Follow Right To Be on Twitter and Facebook at, @righttobeorg.

About Wells Fargo
Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortune’s 2022 rankings of America’s largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy.

News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo

SOURCE Right To Be