By Edward Henderson, California Black Media  

For Petrus Johnson, advocacy has always mattered but knowing how to bring others along was less clear. 

A community leader and church organizer in the North County region of San Diego County, Johnson had long viewed civic engagement as the most important way to tackle social problems. Still, many people in his congregation were unsure where to begin or how their voices fit into broader struggles for justice in their city, state and across the nation.  

That changed when Johnson partnered with Alliance San Diego to bring Start With Dignity, the organization’s human rights education program, to his church community. The program at Alliance San Diego has received funding from California’s Stop the Hate Program, which provides direct support to community-based organizations leading anti-hate initiatives. 

“The course makes you define dignity for yourself before connecting it to laws, the Constitution, or policy,” Johnson said. “Once you realize dignity is inherent, it changes how you read laws, how you hear language, and how you see who’s being excluded.” 

For Johnson and those he leads, the shift was both grounding and catalytic — reframing advocacy not as confrontation, but as an extension of shared humanity. 

That reframing comes at a critical moment. 

Rising Hate, Deeper Stakes 

Hate crimes and hate incidents have been steadily rising across California, according to data from the California Department of Justice and the state’s Civil Rights Department (CRD). Reports increasingly target people based on race, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and immigration status. 

Civil rights advocates say the surge reflects not only individual acts of violence and harassment, but also deeper patterns of discrimination embedded in public policy and everyday systems — making community-based responses and human rights education more urgent than ever. 

Historically, for communities of color, immigrants, unhoused residents, LGBTQ+ youth, and other vulnerable groups, violations of basic human rights have often been normalized, ignored, or left without accountability. 

Alliance San Diego is working to interrupt that pattern by starting from a simple but transformative premise: dignity is inherent. 

Building Power Through Dignity 

Founded in 2007, Alliance San Diego is a community-based organization dedicated to building collective power and creating an inclusive democracy where everyone can participate fully and with dignity, according to its leaders. 

“Our work is about making sure people understand they are worthy,” said Miesha Rice, advancement director at Alliance San Diego. “Human rights and dignity are the foundation of everything we do.” 

That commitment is reflected across the organization’s three core pillars: elevating community, claiming dignity, and protecting human rights. One of the most visible expressions of that work is Start With Dignity, an interactive learning program designed to help people understand their inherent worth — and how to defend it in a society that sometimes tries to strip it away. 

Combatting Hate Through Education and Action 

Rice’s work with Alliance San Diego has largely focused on immigrant communities, particularly during periods of intensified enforcement and misinformation. What began as coalition-based “Know Your Rights” workshops quickly expanded into large-scale community outreach. 

“We distributed over 50,000 door hangers so people could understand their rights and advocate for others if they witnessed something,” Rice explained. The materials helped community members identify warrants, distinguish law enforcement agencies, and recognize undercover tactics — information that proved critical in preventing unlawful detentions. 

“You can’t identify an immigrant just by looking at them. The immigrant community can look like anyone. Making sure everyone has the same information was a major part of pushing back against the fear and dehumanization we were seeing.” 

Alliance San Diego’s legal rights team has helped hundreds of clients move from undocumented to documented status, supported naturalization efforts, and even pursued federal litigation when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unlawfully detained individuals during immigration interviews. 

But legal services are only part of the work. Alliance San Diego also engages in nonpartisan voter education, policy advocacy, and disaster justice — most recently supporting flood victims in San Diego’s low-lying, predominantly Black and Latino communities after the city failed to clear storm drains despite known risks. 

Starting With Dignity 

Launched two years ago and supported by California Department of’ (CDSS) Stop the Hate grant, Start With Dignity is an experiential workshop that brings human rights education home to the United States. It is the type of program that Californians can get connected to if they call CA vs Hate, the state’s anti-hate hotline, which provides access to support services like legal aid, mediation, and mental health care.

Participants explore the 30 human rights and examine how dignity shows up — or is denied — in everyday life.  

“Dignity is not respect,” Rice explained. “Respect is earned. Dignity is something you’re born with. It can’t be taken away.” 

Transformation Across Communities 

Mark Hovey, 68, one of the group members Johnson brought into the program, described the experience as both affirming and challenging. 

“I was born into a life of privilege, and that comes with responsibility,” Hovey said. A retired CEO, Hovey sees Start With Dignity as a call to action. 

“Because of my success, people see me as a person of influence, and they listen when I speak. My job is to inspire other White people to embrace dignity and diversity,” he said. “When you hear something intolerant or hateful, you have to say something.” 

Stephanie Renick echoed that sentiment, emphasizing how the program reshaped her understanding of leadership and development. 

“Dignity is not something earned or conferred by position,” Renick said. “Starting from dignity means believing people deserve development, not just direction — and communities deserve voice, not extraction.” 

A Trusted Local Resource 

As hate incidents continue to rise, Alliance San Diego says it offers something increasingly rare: a trusted, local organization rooted in community, equipped with tools, and committed to dignity as both principle and practice. 

For those seeking education, legal support, or a way to show up for their neighbors, Alliance San Diego is clear about where to begin. 

Start with dignity, says Rice.  

 Get Support After Hate:

California vs Hate is a non-emergency, multilingual hotline and online portal offering confidential support for hate crimes and incidents. Victims and witnesses can get help anonymously by calling 833-8-NO-HATE (833-866-4283), Monday to Friday, 9 a.m.–6 p.m. PT, or online at any time. Anonymous. Confidential. No Police. No ICE.

This story was produced in partnership with CA vs Hate. Join them for the first-ever CA Civil Rights Summit on May 11, 2026. More information at www.cavshate.org/summit.