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Sara Topliff

Members of the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church gather with signs and t-shirts showing their support in building a world with no hate. “We need to see the humanity in one another and love one another,” Pastor Emily Ebert said. 

On Sunday, Feb. 26, the Ventura County Chapter of the Anti-Defamation League gathered at Conejo Creek North Park in Thousand Oaks and took a “Walk Against Hate.” The event was sponsored by California Lutheran University and featured a diversity festival filled with resources from over 50 nonprofits, speeches from Ventura County Sheriff James Fryhoff and former Thousand Oaks Mayor Claudia Bill-de la Peña and a collective walk to demonstrate moving towards a future without racism, antisemitism and bigotry.

Members of the community gathered with t-shirts, posters, flags, hats and signs that displayed their organization or their personal reason for walking and showing up. 

ADL Regional Board Chair, Mark Goldstein was very passionate about the meaning of the walk. 

“Because of swastikas in my neighborhood, because of hate banners on the 101, because a Lutheran church down the block from your school was defaced and the welcoming messages removed, that’s why I’m here,” Goldstein said.

Nina Wong attended the walk with a group from the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. 

“To me and to my family it gives us an opportunity to really speak out by our actions because there’s just too much hatred and violence and I always say enough is enough and I know my family’s behind all of us walking but this gives us an opportunity to really voice, you know, we need to do something,” Wong said.

The Walk Against Hate brought people from the community together to create an environment of allyship and promote inclusivity. It allowed for people to have an opportunity to take action and move towards a better future. 

“It’s a community building event…it’s all about togetherness,” said Goldstein.