To mark International Friendship Day, the city of Los Angeles Wednesday is scheduled to celebrate its “Just Say Hello” campaign, the latest phase of its anti-hate LA For All initiative, promoting compassion and connection between Angelenos.
On Wednesday, the Los Angeles Civil Rights Department is expected to lead a news conference at City Hall to discuss the campaign alongside city officials and community leaders. The event will feature multilingual visuals, cultural performances, and music by DJ Puffs.
“In the face of rising hate and fear — especially in immigrant communities — `Just Say Hello’ is about choosing connection over division,” Capri Maddox, executive director of the LA Civil Rights Department, said in a statement. “We’re reminding Angelenos that a simple greeting can be a powerful first step to healing, safety, and understanding throughout our communities.”
The campaign was designed in the following 11 languages: Russian, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Croatian, Italian, Japanese, Thai, Cambodian, Vietnamese and English.
City departments such as LA Sanitation and Environment, StreetsLA, Parks and Recreation, Public Library, the Port of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles World Airports joined the campaign to help amplify its message in their daily operations and outreach.
Award-winning designer Masaki Koike of Phyx Design helped the department develop the campaign. Visuals will appear on transit shelters, sanitation trucks, social media and city facilities through Los Angeles.
Campaign posters and other visuals are live on 80 digital bus shelters and throughout LAX terminals. LA sanitation vehicles are expected to roll out with messages from the campaign from all six yards Wednesday.
In the near future, campaign visuals will be visible on lamp posts in a few neighborhoods, said city officials.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to share selfies and stories using the #JustSayHelloLA to show how a simple hello can build bridges and break barriers between strangers, regardless of race, ethnicity, language, faith or country of origin.
In 2021, the department launched its award-winning “LA For All” initiative in response to an alarming rise in hate crimes. In September, the city will celebrate LA For All by lighting landmarks such as Dodger Stadium and the LAX pylons in the campaign’s colors.