RICHMOND — Hate crimes in Virginia rose last year despite a small decline nationally.

Reported hate crime incidents across the U.S. last year totaled 10,873, down 1.5% from 2023, according to crime statistics from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

But, there was a 15% increase in reported hate crime incidents in Virginia from 2023 to 2024, and in the past decade, hate crimes increased 176% in the state. The most targeted groups last year were Black and African Americans at 36%, Jewish people at 23% and the LGBTQ+ community at 8%.

“Hate crimes often increase in reaction to major events and the rhetoric surrounding those events,” stated David Webber, associate professor of Homeland Security at Virginia Commonwealth University, over email.

Hate crimes against Asian people increased dur

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