Hundreds gather in Pittsburgh for summit focused on preventing hate-based violence

PITTSBURGH — It’s a packed room of survivors, leaders, law enforcement and educators. They all have just one goal in mind.

“That they feel that violence is preventable,” said Brette Steele, the President of Eradicate Hate.

Violence comes in many shapes for these groups of people. But right now, it’s in the news headlines across the country. That’s what started the venture seven years ago.

“Eradicate Hate arose out of the deadliest antisemitic attack in United States history that happened right here in Pittsburgh at the Tree of Life. Our board and founders wanted Pittsburgh to not be remembered by that darkest hour but by how the community responded,” Steele said.

The Eradicate Hate Summit has brought people from across the country to look at solutions and build relationships to help prevent that violence.

“We are seeing them work, our up and hate program this past year saw two school shootings averted because of students we trained that were part of weapons on campus. We want to take that to scale. We were only able to pilot it on 10 campuses, so let’s take it to scale,” Steele said.

This year, for the first time, the keynote speaker is an acting elected official, Governor Josh Shapiro, who can speak to this violence.

“He’s had such personal experience with political violence and can really speak to this moment we are in as well as the role of states in preventing hate-filled violence,” Steele said.

The summit also takes a step further to host 35 school districts in the region. It’s an opportunity to hear from the youth who are living in it and hoping to make a change on their own.

“I realized how empowering it is to be here with like-minded people makes you feel not alone. Being able to say ‘hey that’s not okay’ and have people back you up,” said Janiya Cassell, a senior at North Hills High School.

The session kicks back up for day two on Tuesday with the Governor speaking at 11:10 a.m.

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