(Submitted by Not In Our Town Bowling Green)
“We can do something to stop the spread of hate, and our local communities are where we can immediately make a change that can be felt in people’s lives.”
— Patrice O’Neill, Not In Our Town founder
Twenty-five people were killed in the hate crime shootings in El Paso, TX and Gilroy, CA and scores were injured. Nine people were killed by another shooter with an assault rifle in Dayton, Ohio.
As El Paso Congresswoman Veronica Escobar observed over the weekend, “We have a hate epidemic in this country.”
Not In Our Town is a national organization working to stop hate, address bullying, and build safe, inclusive communities. In this an urgent moment, many feel overwhelmed and pessimistic, but at Not In Our Town, we’ve seen real change happen at the local level.
The responsibility for dealing with intolerance lies with all of us. For nearly 25 years, NIOT has been working with communities to help them reinforce their core values of inclusion, respect, and safety for all.
This moment demands a collective sense of will and commitment – and a plan for comprehensive training and community engagement throughout the country.
“We can do something to stop the spread of hate, and our local communities are where we can immediately make a change that can be felt in people’s lives,” said Not In Our Town founder and documentary filmmaker Patrice O’Neill, who has chronicled successful hate crime response in communities facing violence and bigotry since 1995.
“We have to find new ways to mobilize, not just those who are already taking action, but the vast majority of people in our cities and towns who don’t want the spread of hate speech and violence to harm their children or their neighbors,” O’Neill said. “The fear and insecurity caused by hate violence is creating incalculable harm. These attacks have a devastating effect on entire communities, driving decisions about where to live and work, or how often to participate in community and civic life.”
Even just one individual or a small group can start a movement to stand up to hate. See what our local chapter is doing below.
Save the Dates for the NIOT BG “Community Conversations” series.
NIOT BG is pleased to announce our upcoming Community Conversation series. The purpose of our Community Conversation series is to reinforce our core values of respect, inclusion, and safety for all, while providing participants’ with opportunities for new learning and increased awareness around the topics of bias, prejudice, and bigotry. Together, we can Eliminate Hate and Promote Peace!
Please mark your calendars. In our next mailing we will send additional details regarding the registration process as well as specifics about locations.
- Doing Diversity While Being White; Thursday, Sept. 19, 7 to 9 p.m., presented by Dr. Jolie Sheffer
- Recognizing and Dealing with Unconscious Bias (Implicit and Explicit); Thursday, Oct. 24, 7 to 9 p.m., presented by The Employers’ Association
- Eliminate Hate and Promote Peace; This is the theme for the entire month of November. There will be a variety of activities including our annual Peace March and United Against Hate Week (Nov. 17-22).
Watch for more details.
