Montgomery County officials and councilmembers announced a $1.2 million grant for 110 nonprofit and religious organizations to combat hate crimes, April 3.
The county allocated $15,000 for each nonprofit and directed organizations to use the money within one year of the grant agreement. The funding is a part of the county’s Fiscal Year 2025 Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which aims to enhance security measures for organizations at risk of hate crimes. To fulfill this objective, organizations will use the grants to improve staff training and install monitoring systems and surveillance cameras.
This initiative marks a substantial increase from the $700,000 awarded in 2022. That year, Montgomery County reported 157 bias incidents compared to the 483 bias incidents recorded in 2024. Fifty-three of these incidents involved anti-Israel language. Out of 49 incidents relating to race, half included racial slurs.
In a press release, Council President Kate Stewart expressed the need for greater community protection following recent hate-bias incidents.
“We cannot allow our places of worship, nonprofit centers and community hubs to become places of fear,” Stewart said. “It’s our responsibility to do all we can to protect our nonprofit and faith partners from acts of hate and violence.”
Starting this year, grant funding can support the MocoConnect program — an organization aiding citizens in digital equity by registering citizens’ surveillance with the Montgomery County Police Department. This program alerts the police about the camera’s presence and allows them to request footage if needed. Law enforcement uses the films to create a map of cameras that could acquire evidence for crimes and data.
MCPS Councilmember Andrew Friedson said in the press release that the grants should minimize hate-bias incidents.
“We don’t retreat in the face of hatred and bigotry,” Friedson said. “We redouble our efforts to combat hate in all its forms so our residents can live, learn and worship freely and safely.”
In December, the county created a complaint portal and telephone hotline to ease the hate-bias reporting process. The portal allows residents to report an incident by calling the county’s hotline or filling out a hate-bias incident form. Individuals can choose to remain anonymous when reporting actions like graffiti, violence or harassment.
In previous years, various discriminatory incidents occurred at Whitman. In 2019, two Whitman students posted a photo on social media wearing blackface — the practice of wearing makeup to emulate a black person’s appearance — and captioned the post with the N-word. In 2022, an individual spray-painted graffiti, reading “Jews not welcome,” across the Whitman sign.
Since these events, the Leadership Academy for Social Justice (LASJ) program at Whitman has continued to address the ongoing bias against certain minorities. Held every other Wednesday in third period, OneWhitman is a schoolwide initiative designed to foster conversations about diversity and inclusion, encouraging students to contribute to a welcoming school environment.
Black Student Union member Whitney Durham believes it’s important to aid these organizations and continue to support MCPS students.
“I think the grant will help in combating hate crimes,” Durham said. “These events have been minimized throughout Whitman, so hopefully this trend continues throughout the county.”
