Alana Simmons and her family aren’t seeking justice through violence and riots for the Charleston church shooting where her grandfather and eight others were killed. They’re seeking justice with a powerful hashtag instead: #HateWontWin.
Simmons challenged people on social media to post pictures engaging in acts of love and compassion with the hashtag to prove that humans are capable of more than hate. She created a Facebook page, too, where she encouraged people to find someone of a different religion, race, gender or sexuality and perform an act of kindness -- buy them a coffee or give them a hug, she suggested -- and upload a photo of it using the hashtag.
“We are here to combat hate-filled actions with love-filled actions,” Simmons told the New York Times. “And that is what we want to get out to the world.”
People are already joining in on the love on Instagram and Twitter.
#hatewontwin #hatewontwinchallenge A photo posted by Waltron moody (@bigmoody) on Jun 24, 2015 at 9:10am PDT
#hatewontwin #Throwback to when I met this man in #Harlem and not one person walking by would tie his shoe upon his request. I said WHY NOT? In #honor of the #hatewontwin #movement I repost this picture! He was a #Jewish man that believed the #messiah has not come yet and I am a believer In Jewish culture, however I #believe the messiah was here and is coming back again! Not to mention we are #different #colors and #races. However, this never got in the way of us #learning about each other. He's a 91 yr old man who fought in #WorldWar2 In honor of #hatewontwin show a random act of #kindness to someone you don't know or someone who may not look like or have the same beliefs as you! #PrayForCharleston A photo posted by Joshua Daniel Grant (@joshuadaniel_music) on Jun 24, 2015 at 8:27am PDT
Show some love this week to those you know who are different than you. I I LOVE MY FRIENDS #hatewontwin A photo posted by Uncle Pete (@uncle_pete_atx) on Jun 23, 2015 at 8:17pm PDT
"Love can build a bridge, between your heart and mine, Love can build a bridge. Don't you think it's time, don't you think it's time?" #charlestonstrong #southcarolina #nothingcouldbefiner #loveconquersall #hatewontwin A photo posted by Amber Nicole G. (@amber_nicole1983) on Jun 25, 2015 at 6:42am PDT
#hatewontwin - Besties for over 15 years A photo posted by RUCracken? (@ruheemccracken) on Jun 23, 2015 at 8:43pm PDT
Tonight I posted one of these in each of my patients rooms... Took 5 mins to just talk to them, and make sure before I left their room they smiled! Each patient was Caucasian except one, each over the age of 70. 9victims #9days of #hatewontwin I now challenge @_theperfectcut and the entire SPR14 lets go babies! A photo posted by Dalina Dyman (@_pixtureme) on Jun 24, 2015 at 6:07pm PDT
I get to meet some really beautiful people in my job. #CharlestonShooting #HateWontWin pic.twitter.com/x2PnbGRYIH— Sarah-Blake Morgan (@SarahBlakeWBTV) June 24, 2015
#STANDTALL Support our work to unite communities & build bridges of respect http://t.co/cB9pkaqO6S … #HateWontWin pic.twitter.com/3PVb2FOHAt— Amer Conf Diversity (@AmConfDiversity) June 24, 2015
How's that #fail feel @deray?? #CharlestonUnited #unitychaincharleston #CharlestonStrong #GoHomeDeray #HateWontWin pic.twitter.com/iXYVS2ghXS— That #1 (@That_no1_biatch) June 22, 2015
We must live together as brothers or perish together as fools. #HateWontWin http://t.co/JjPznTuP1U pic.twitter.com/iEGDX33OCW— Carlos A. Rodriguez (@CarlosCTFR) June 21, 2015