Jan. 16 - Feb. 1, 2010 Report Hate Violence and Community Responses
Arlington, VA: A Virginia legislator introduces a bill to make attacks on the homeless a hate crime in his state. A similar initiative is underway in Florida, which leads the nation in attacks on homeless people.
Blog
January 26, 2010 - 7:04pm
CA: In January and February, the Westboro Baptist Church, a hate group from Topeka, Kansas, targeted schools, religious institutions and other organizations across California.
We'd like to share a few of the creative, peaceful ways students and community members are responding to Westboro's message of hate, and open our comments section up to spread the word about any other unity activities taking place across the state.
January 22, 2010 - 5:04pm
San Francisco Bay Area, CA: Fred Phelps of the so-called Westboro Baptist Church, a hate group from Topeka, Kansas, is targeting San Francisco-Bay Area schools, organizations, and houses of worship to picket this coming week. We'd like to help facilitate community strategies for response.
January 19, 2010 - 5:47pm
Walnut Creek, CA-
Three dozen residents of Contra Costa County, California, gathered January 14 to discuss new ways to coordinate community responses to hate and intolerance through NIOT.org at a breakfast meeting co-sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Contra Costa.
After a welcome by Reverend Brian Stein-Webber, the Interfaith Council's Executive Director, and Mary Alice O'Connor of the Mount Diablo Peace and Justice Center, Not In Our Town Executive Producer Patrice O'Neill led a group discussion about emerging local issues that ranged from concerns over bullying in the local schools, attacks on day laborers, and the challenges of community response after a recent gang rape.
January 15, 2010 - 2:44pm
This week in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, we are highlighting three stories of youth standing up to intolerance and violence.
Spread the Peace (Mother Caroline Academy)
Ariana's brother was killed in a drive-by shooting. Most of her classmates at Mother Caroline Academy in Dorchester, Massachusetts have been affected by violence. After watching "Not In Our Town" in a Facing History class, Ariana and her peers launch their own neighborhood “Spread the Peace” campaign to help stop the violence. (11 min 13 sec)
Students Teach Students to Stand Up to Bullying
At Shaw High School in East Cleveland, OH, students in Lori Urogody-Eiler's Facing History and Ourselves class mentor younger students in how to be an upstander, not a bystander, when faced with bullying and intolerant acts. (5 min 47 sec)