DEARBORN HEIGHTS — In response to recent hate crimes in the community, the Dearborn Heights Community Cultural Relations Commission has launched a no hate campaign.

The commission is selling yard signs for $15 each that say, “Hate Has No Home in Dearborn Heights” and is offering a second option for other communities that says, “Hate Has No Home Here.”

Having already sold at least 100 signs, Commissioner Leslie Windless said that they wanted to show solidarity.

“I was conversing with a person who said her neighbor experienced a hate crime at their home, which included vandalism of their property,” Windless said. “We wanted to get together and do something for this family to show that Dearborn Heights does not feel this way.”

Because the family wanted to remain anonymous, Windless said that the commission had to improvise.

“The family wanted to remain anonymous and did not want attention brought to their home,” she said. “We still wanted to show solidarity without bringing attention to one house or family, which is where the yard sign idea came from.”

“Hate Has No Home Here” sign for non-Dearborn Heights residents

A small portion of the proceeds will go towards the purchase of billboard signs to match the yard signs, but if not enough money is raised for billboard signs then it will go towards upcoming commission events.

Mo Baydoun, the commission’s vice president and a City Councilman, said that the commission has no plans of slowing down.

“This is just the beginning,” he said. “We are not accepting hate in this city. We accept all people. We as a community need to be accepting of all regardless of race, color, culture, religion, anything.”

Baydoun said he too heard about the hate crimes.

“I am hearing too many cases of Black, Muslim, Asian, Palestinian families experiencing hate in the community and I will remain very vocal in condemning these acts,” he said. “I’m hoping this campaign will spread, maybe even throughout the United States and even to Palestine.”

Commissioner Latanya Gater echoed Baydoun’s comments on supporting their neighbors.

“We, as a commission, wanted to stand in support of the family, but they decided to allow the police to resolve it, which we respect,” she said. “We believe this was not the first nor the last of these types of incidents, therefore, ‘Hate Has No Home in Dearborn Heights’ was created. Overall, we want Dearborn Heights residents to feel loved, safe and supported regardless of race, culture, religion, gender or sexual orientation. We then took it a step further and created the Hate Has No Home Here signs for non-Dearborn Heights families as well.”

Anyone interested in a sign can contact Windless at lesliewindless14@yahoo.com or by text at 313-695-7054 or Gater at gaterlataya@yahoo.com or by phone at 734-331-0707.

Payments for the signs can be made via cash app to $lwindless or PayPal to lwindless@hfcc.edu.

“There is no room for hate here and we have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to hate in Dearborn Heights,” Baydoun said. “We do not allow for hate. As a commissioner, a Councilman and as a resident, I will always speak out against hate.”