SARANAC LAKE — Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado met with regional diversity leaders in Saranac Lake on Monday to talk about combating hate and the violence it brings.

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.”

Read the full story in the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.