As the deadly coronavirus sweeps its way across the nation, Asian-Americans continue to be the target of racial taunts and hate crimes. And it certainly didn’t help when President Trump labeled the disease as the “Chinese virus.”

On Thursday at 4 p.m., ABC7 (KGO-TV) is confronting the issue on a grass-roots level with an hourlong virtual town hall special titled “Race & Coronavirus: A Bay Area Conversation.”

Hosted by ABC7 News anchors Kristen Sze and Dan Ashley, the event is intended “to empower people with facts about coronavirus and to provide resources so viewers can take action.”

ABC7 News anchor Dion Lim will take audience questions live on Facebook throughout the show. On hand to answer questions will be a panel of experts that includes:

  • Aimee Allison, president of Democracy in Color
  • Zahra Billoo, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, San Francisco Bay Area
  • Cynthia Choi, co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action
  • Russell Jeung, professor of Asian American Studies, College of Ethnic Studies, San Francisco State University
  • Jeff Yang, writer for The Wall Street Journal

San Francisco State University recently found a 50 percent rise in the number of news articles related to COVID-19 and anti-Asian discrimination between Feb. 9 and March 7. Jeung, the lead researcher on the project, said the figures represent “just the tip of the iceberg” because only the most egregious cases were likely reported by the media.

ABC7 said the panel will be live during the town hall, answering questions and giving guidance on COVID-19 and how to best deal with bigotry and hate crimes during this pandemic and beyond.

Viewers are encouraged to submit their questions via comments on the ABC7 Bay Area Facebook and Instagram pages. Viewers can also stream the town hall on abc7news.com. In addition, the special will also be available live on the ABC7 News app, the ABC7 News Bay Area YouTube channel and Apple News.

Questions from the public will be incorporated into the broadcast through a social media monitor in the studio, where ABC7 News hosts will be without a studio audience. The panel of experts will join the conversation live via a private Zoom conference.

Questions for the panel can be submitted now on facebook.com/abc7news.