Insights and Impact

Sign Language

Amanda Neville, WCL/JD '06

By

Photo­graphy by
Nick Parisse

Amanda Neville

One of the things Brooklynite Amanda Neville loves about her Clinton Hill neighborhood is its diversity. So when some of the businesses run by immigrants, women, and minorities received hateful messages on social media following the 2016 presidential election, she felt compelled to act.

"I thought it would be cool if we had a unified message that said, this is a neighborhood that cares about diversity and inclusion," says Neville, owner of a wine shop called Tipsy. 

That statement—"Hate Has No Business Here"—can now be seen on signs in thousands of storefronts around the borough and beyond. Anyone can download the sign, which is available in nine languages, for free. 

"Community is about pulling together and saying we're more the same than we are different," she says. 

It seems to be working. The campaign has been a hit: now 23 other business districts across New York City are participating, and the signs have been downloaded in other cities, including Charlottesville, Virginia. Neville is working with New York's Department of Mental Health, which plans to adopt the campaign to address the effect of discrimination on mental health. 

"This is about reclaiming patriotism and saying [it's] about tolerance and kindness. Hate has no business in our neighborhoods, and it has no business in our hearts."