Delgado, the chair of the state’s new Hate and Bias Prevention Unit, attended the kick-off meeting for the unit’s North Country regional council at the Hotel Saranac. The unit’s stated goal is something similar to the Adirondack Diversity Initiative or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs in schools, but with a stronger focus on preventing violence, on top of supporting diversity.

The state Division of Human Rights has set up 10 regional councils, modeled after the Regional Economic Development Councils, with a focus on boosting diversity instead of the economy. They are all holding inaugural meetings this summer, with Delgado attending each one. The North Country meeting on Monday was the last of the 10 kick-off meetings, but not the least, Delgado said.

According to a press release from Delgado’s office, the goal is to “identify regional trends and priorities; empower communities to stand against hate and bias; prevent and respond to hate and bias incidents; and support local individuals and communities as they heal from the trauma of hate and discrimination.”

Monday was an introductory meeting for all involved, he said. They shared stories about themselves and their experiences, discussed what they want to accomplish and began thinking about a path forward.

Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado poses with the attendants of the North Country Hate and Bias Prevention Unit meeting on Monday in the Hotel Saranac. (Enterprise photo — Arthur Maiorella)

“Grounding ourselves in our shared experiences,” Delgado said.

Council members were invited by the state to join the group, representing diversity advocacy organizations, schools, law enforcement, local government and religious organizations.

The lieutenant governor said it was encouraging to see people who care deeply about grounding conversations in love dedicate their time to this work in the face of “the unfortunate normalization of hate that is ongoing across the country.”

Instead of just reacting to this hate, he said he wants New York to lead the nation in preventing it from happening.

“We cannot simply wait for things to work themselves out,” he said. “We need to be intentional.”

Lt. Governor Antonio Delgado speaks after the opening meeting of the North Country Hate and Bian Prevention Unit on Monday at the Hotel Saranac. (Enterprise photo — Arthur Maiorella)

Delgado said it takes “intentional work” to create “an atmosphere grounded in love, mutual understanding and compassion.”

Delgado feels the U.S. is in a critical time of extremism and decisiveness. At the same time, he sees a resistance to confronting hard truths.

“Truths are not always easy to process and it can be difficult. If we don’t create open spaces for dialogue, people can become rigid, intolerant, inflexible,” Delgado said.

Delgado was asked about a number of vandalism incidents in the local community over the past few years. Most recently, two acts of anti-LGBTQIA-plus vandalism — one at a public park on the day of the second annual Tri-Lakes Pride Festival, and another at the home of Kelly Metzgar, an out trans woman who has lived in the village for nearly 39 years. Metzgar was one of the attendees at Monday’s meeting.

There have also been locals arrested for attacking people with slurs, death threats and fists; racist graffiti painted on bridges; mass shooting threats made against people protesting police violence and additional vandalism of pride flags in recent years.

Delgado said no specific incidents were brought up at the meeting but conversation about “the collective sense that this work is needed.”

He also saw encouraging stories out of the region.

“What’s really compelling about the North Country is a lot of the untold stories about the Black suffrage movement and the Underground Railroad, the work of that movement and how it took root here,” Delgado said.

He wants to promote that “breathtaking” history of New York.

More honest conversation is the path. The goal is also to create a comfort level in the community that if someone feels they have been a victim of hate crime or discrimination, they feel comfortable speaking up and reporting it.

Delgado said this may look counter-intuitive. More reports of hate crimes may appear to correlate to less tolerance. But he said it also shows people comfortable sharing their level of discomfort, which he sees as a positive step.

Delgado said he is excited to have all 10 councils started. Now, comes the work of planning and putting those plans into action. It will take a while. They have found people with “big hearts” and the ability to build bridges, he said. Now these council members need to have their own conversations about the best ways to prevent hate in their own communities. The state is not dictating what they do, he said. It is up to councils to decide based on the uniqueness of their region.

Delgado oversees all 10 councils, and there is no single leader per group. He said if anyone wants to get involved they should contact the state Division of Human Rights or a local council member.

Lauren Bale, the communications director for Delgado’s office, said a website from the state Division of Human Rights with a full list of council members, including for the North Country, is expected to launch in the next week.