FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 28, 2001 CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119 DRAKE TO HOST HATE CRIMES FORUM SEPT. 12 The Central Iowa Hate Crimes Forum will take place at Drake University on Wednesday, Sept. 12. The forum, which is free and open to the public, will be held from 1 to 5:30 p.m. in Olmsted Center, 29th Street and University Avenue. U.S. Attorney John B. Stevens, chief prosecutor in the James Byrd case, will be the keynote speaker. Byrd, a 49-year-old black man, was beaten unconscious, chained to the back of a pickup and dragged to his death across miles of rural Texas roads by three white men. Stevens will discuss the origins of hate crimes, what motivates people to hate and how the nation has responded to hate crimes. There also will be a panel discussion of the Hate Crime Law in Iowa. Fred Gay of the Polk County Attorney's Office will introduce the panel, which will be moderated by Michele Soria, executive director of the Iowa Council for International Understanding. Panelists will include experts from Iowa and across the United States. They will address hate crimes as they relate to immigrants, gays and lesbians, people of color and people of various faith identities. In addition, they will address public policy, criminal justice and education and prevention. Attendees will participate in work sessions in which they will discuss ways to apply new information and ideas as they relate to particular areas and groups such as faith, education, youth, media, government, business and criminal justice. Reports from these work sessions will provide guidance for action to Des Moines Mayor Preston Daniels' forthcoming task force on hate crimes. Daniels, a Drake alumnus, also will be the opening speaker at the forum. Although there is no registration fee for the forum, advance registration is required by Friday, Sept. 7. For more information and registration, call 274-5571 or send an e-mail message to jmccullo@nccj.org. In addition to the Drake Legal Clinic, the forum is sponsored by the National Conference for Community and Justice, Iowa Council for International Understanding, Interfaith Alliance of Iowa, Des Moines Police Department, Polk County Attorney's Office, U.S. Department of Justice, City of Des Moines Human Rights Commission, Des Moines Area Religious Council, Iowa Civil Rights Commission, Iowa Department of Criminal Justice and Juvenile Planning, Stop the Hate Coalition, Iowa Civil Liberties Union, Jewish Community Relations Commission/Jewish Federation and Des Moines Public Schools.