On Sept. 21—the day our film, Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness premiered on PBS—San Francisco declared it Not In Our Town Day.
The proclamation, signed by San Francisco Mayor Edwin M. Lee, was presented to Not In Our Town Executive Director Jonathan Bernstein at a special Human Rights Commission meeting last night. The City and County of San Francisco's Human Rights Commission had called the meeting to explore hate crime trends and anti-bullying efforts.
The proclamation states that: "Not In Our Town has motivated thousands of people to develop their own initiatives to overpower hateful actions and voices in our communities" and "the City and County of San Francisco is proud to recognize Not In Our Town's Week of Action, which takes place from September 18-24, during which time people across the country are taking action to build communities that are inclusive for everyone."
Blog
September 22, 2011 - 12:26pm
Our new documentary Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness had its broadcast premiere on PBS stations across the country last night. We hope that it will inspire thousands of people to take action to stand up to hate in their communities.
The film tries to achieve that goal by making space for discussions about all the underlying issues that give rise to hate and hate crimes. What did you think of the film? How can you use it as a tool in your community?
September 22, 2011 - 7:55am
As hate infiltrated the Northern California town of Novato when an Asian man was stabbed at a local supermarket, residents not only stood by the victim’s side—several grocery clerks chased down the assailant.
The residents’ heroic response was documented in Not In Out Town II, and has left a lasting impression of a community that comes together in times of trouble.
Since then, “trouble” has revisited Novato, and it has several faces: First, an ongoing debate over high-density affordable housing and increased crime prompted one local newspaper to dub Novato the “City of Rage” and has left a divisive tone at city hall as well as within the community.
September 21, 2011 - 2:33pm
This morning, Not In Our Town executive producer and director of Light in the Darkness spoke with Michel Martin on NPR's Tell Me More.
"I think you can have wide disagreement about immigration reform and what should be done, but there should be absolutely no disagreement about people being able to walk the streets of a community free from being attacked because of their identity and people should be able to safely report crimes to the police," O'Neill told Martin. "I think that's a bedrock value of our democracy."
Listen to the interview here.
For more information on the film, visit niot.org/lightinthedarkness.
September 21, 2011 - 10:52am
On the day of broadcast, we share with you a video extra featuring Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri.
Patchogue, New York Mayor Paul Pontieri reflects on his family's history of immigration, his love of his hometown, and how his life has influenced his policy of inclusion for all Patchogue residents.