The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) and YWCA Canada have launched a social media campaign called #BlockHate to address concerns around the rise of hate speech and racism online. The campaign launch coincides with the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on March 21. The campaign features women of colour targeted by online hate through social media who share their experiences.

Online hate speech and racism is often a precursor to the unfortunate trend of violent, in-person attacks against marginalized communities. This is evidenced in the hate speech spread online about Asians over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic followed by an over 700 percent rise in violent attacks Asian-Canadians in cities like Vancouver. This was also true when 60 percent of Canadians indicated in an Ipsos Reid poll that Islamophobia was increasing post-9/11.

Noor Fadel, featured in the #BlockHate campaign, was 18-years-old when she was attacked on a train four years ago by a stranger for wearing a hijab. When she posted her story to social media, it went viral. She received many supportive messages and received hundreds of sexist, racist, and Islamophobic comments concerning her experience.

Young people are some of the most deeply affected by online hate speech. A recent poll conducted by CRRF and Abacus Data indicated that young people between 18 and 29 are the most avid social media users. Yet, they are more likely than any other age demographic in the country to have directly received or witnessed offensive name-calling, racist, sexist, homophobic comments, incitements of violence, sexual harassment, and physical threats online. Racialized Canadians are three times more likely to experience online hate speech.

The #BlockHate campaign can be found on www.blockhate.ca and also appears on the Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts of CRRF and YWCA Canada.