The #HateWontWin Challenge

How do you continue a legacy of love in the face of a horrific tragedy?

The #HateWontWin Challenge

Build bonds of hope.

Alana Simmons began to build hope for millions of people around the world when she told Dylann Roof, the killer of her grandfather and eight other Emanuel AME Church members that “hate won’t win.”

But honoring her grandfather’s legacy of love and making sure hate didn’t win would take more than decrying hate or even living a life absent of hate.  Because a lack of hate only creates an empty space.  To stop the forces of hate from winning would require a counter force.

Extend arms of love and compassion.

The power of forgiveness shown by the families of the Charleston Nine changed forever the dynamics of their family members’ deaths.  With unbelievable grace and courage, they took from hate and gave to love.  They forgave.

But changing the dynamics of that horrific moment would be lost if the kindness, love and compassion wasn’t carried forward and outward beyond it’s own circle.

Share from the heart.

South Carolina State Sen. Paul Thurmond:

I cannot comprehend the hate that was visited upon the Holy City, but I can respond with love and unity and kindness and maybe show others that their motivation for future attacks of hate will not be tolerated, will not result in a race war, will not divide us, but rather will strengthen our resolve to come together as one nation, one state, and one community under God.

Open as many doors as possible.

While these big moments have the power to inspire us, it is our small everyday acts that carry the biggest potential to change lives.  Our love, kindness and compassion to those we don’t know, to those we owe nothing, to those we may not always understand –  impact those lives directly and powerfully.  It embodies change and leads the way for more of the same — one person at a time.

As Alana Simmons explains:

“Policy doesn’t change people, people change people. Lets challenge society to change itself.”

Keep LOVE in the spotlight.

So, she and her sibling created The #HateWontWin Challenge to motivate others to be a part in this legacy of love:

“What we want is for society to go out and be the change they want to see…

We say one nation under god, indivisible.  Yet we let our differences divide us…  So we are asking people to go out and show an act of love to someone who is different.  And post that to your social media pages.”

Here is Alana on Morning Joe:

So are you ready to be the change you want to see?  Are you ready to take up the #HateWontWin Challenge?

Connect with the #HateWontWin Movement on Twitter,  facebook, and on their website.

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