First Intercommunity Bystander Intervention Workshop Held At AMC Kabuki 8 Theater in Japantown

Panelists included left to right: Vincent Pan, Stop AAPI Hate/Chinese for Affirmative Action; Jerome Flores, Wells Fargo; Rebecca Rolfe, SF LGBT Center; Emily May, Right To Be; and moderator Richard Lui, MSNBC

San Franciscans representing diverse communities gathered at AMC’s Kabuki 8 Theater in Japantown on Wednesday afternoon (March 15) -- not to catch the latest Hollywood blockbuster but to combat the rise in hate incidents. 

Right To Be, a leading bystander intervention organization, and Wells Fargo hosted an intercommunity workshop to educate its employees and community members on actions they can take to address bias-motivated harassment. The event featured an educational session covering the basics of bystander intervention and a panel discussion with community leaders on bias-motivated harassment. The event was one of two workshops sponsored by Wells Fargo.

According to recent FBI data, hate crimes have continued to surge in New York and other major cities. Preliminary police data shows that at least six metropolitan areas recorded levels not seen since the 1990s.

"We can witness harassment in various forms, from covert racial microaggressions in everyday life to overt gender discrimination in the workplace. Oftentimes, we want to diffuse the situation but don't know how," said Right To Be Co-Founder and Executive Emily May, who led the bystander intervention seminar. "These workshops will empower the public with the skills they need to navigate instances of harassment as a bystander. Our goal is to transform bystanders into allies!"

"In my reporting on anti-Asian hate and attacks against Black, Latina/o/x, and LGBTQIA+ communities over the past ten years, I've seen how bystanders want to help but aren't sure how," said Richard Lui. "The need to equip folks to safely intervene and de-escalate a situation is greater than ever."

"At Wells Fargo, we are committed to creating a culture with broad representation of who we are, how we think, and how we make decisions. Having an inclusive environment in which differences and perspectives are respected and valued is both a business imperative and the right thing to do," said Head of DE&I Strategy and Employee Affairs Kimberly Bertz. "As an organization that operates in many cities and neighborhoods where hate incidents have occurred, this also is a concern for Wells Fargo. The bystander intervention workshops are a great way of celebrating belonging, because they create a sense of unity and connectedness among individuals, while reminding us all of the important role we play in keeping our communities safe."

Hosted alongside NBC News / MSNBC anchor Richard Lui, Wednesday’s workshop included a speaker from Right To Be (President, Co-Founder, And Lead Executive Officer Emily May), opening remarks by Wells Fargo’s (Senior Vice President, External Engagement, Ruben Barrales), and panelist (Senior Diversity & Inclusion Consultant and Pride ERN Lead, Jerome Flores).

Community leaders included:  Stop AAPI Hate/CAA - Vincent Pan, Co-Executive Director of Chinese for Affirmative Action (CAA) and Rebecca Rolfe, Executive Director, SF LGBT Center.

Right To Be’s bystander intervention education has proven to be effective in empowering the public to take action: 

●      98.8% of attendees leave workshops feeling like there is at least one thing they can do to help next time they witness harassment 

●      76% of attendees who saw harassment after attending a workshop reported that they intervened

About Right To Be

Right To Be is a people-powered movement working to build a world free of harassment and filled with humanity. We are a team of educators, motivators, and facilitators who are listening, guiding, and cheering you on. Every day, we train hundreds of people to respond to, intervene in, and heal from harassment. We hold space for people experiencing harassment to share their stories for affirmation and support. And we prepare new leaders to create workplaces, schools, and communities around the world that are filled with humanity. For more information or how you can get involved, visit www.righttobe.org. Follow Right To Be on Twitter and Facebook at, @righttobeorg.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo & Company (NYSE: WFC) is a leading financial services company that has approximately $1.9 trillion in assets, proudly serves one in three U.S. households and more than 10% of small businesses in the U.S., and is a leading middle market banking provider in the U.S. We provide a diversified set of banking, investment and mortgage products and services, as well as consumer and commercial finance, through our four reportable operating segments: Consumer Banking and Lending, Commercial Banking, Corporate and Investment Banking, and Wealth & Investment Management. Wells Fargo ranked No. 41 on Fortune's 2022 rankings of America's largest corporations. In the communities we serve, the company focuses its social impact on building a sustainable, inclusive future for all by supporting housing affordability, small business growth, financial health, and a low-carbon economy.

News, insights, and perspectives from Wells Fargo are also available at Wells Fargo Stories.

Additional information may be found at www.wellsfargo.com | Twitter: @WellsFargo