The Michigan Department of Civil Rights hosted a forum Thursday to help the public understand how to report hate crimes and incidents of bias in the state.
The virtual forum was the first in a monthly series the Michigan Department of Civil Rights is putting on through September.
FBI supervisor Patrick Geahan was one of the presenters. He says the federal definition of hate crime must involve an act of violence motivated by bias.
“Something illegal has to have been done to start out with, and then that offense, that offense must be committed, or enhanced, because of that person's actual or perceived race, color, religion, national origin, gender, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity,” he said.
Geahan says a hate crime does not necessarily include the use of racially derogatory language or symbols.
To report a hate crime, visit Michigan.gov/MDCR.