Tune in to Independent Lens on PBS this week (May 20) for A Dream in Doubt, an important film by Tami Yeager about the power of courage and hope to overcome hate.
In the wave of violence that followed 9/11, Balbir Singh Sodhi, a Sikh-American, was fatally shot in a retaliatory hate crime after he was mistaken for an Arab Muslim. A Dream in Doubt tells the story of Rana Singh Sodhi as he struggles to heal from his brother’s murder, find community support, and reclaim his American dream.
We encourage NIOT members to organize a community screening of this powerful film.
For local listings and PBS broadcast schedule, visit the Independent Lens site.
Download resources, discussion and facilitator guides at A Dream in Doubt on PBS.org.
Blog
April 9, 2008 - 9:00pm
After NIOT Billings Steering Committee Chair Eran Thompson returned home to Billings after taking part in last year’s NIOT Leadership Gathering, he went home with a renewed sense of mission: to revitalize the NIOT movement in the town where it all began.
Thompson, the lead organizer of Montana People’s Action, turned his inspiration into action, and worked with NIOT Billings and the Black Heritage Foundation to host a vibrant, energizing series of Not In Our Town events over the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday weekend. The group invited Not In Our Town producers Patrice O’Neill and Rhian Miller to participate in and lead many of the week’s activities, including a Not In Our School Assembly at Laurel Middle School.
March 14, 2008 - 9:00pm
A cold, snowy February evening didn’t stop over 250 Illinois State University students from marching together at a unity rally in response to hate literature found in their community. The students were joined by over 50 members of Laborers Local 362, who wore their hard hats and carried union banners in support.
After the march, students and community members rallied at the University Student Union, where ISU Campus president Dr. Al Bowman spoke about the university’s ongoing commitment to diversity, and Not In Our Town: Bloomington-Normal leader Mike Matejka encouraged the marchers to keep the spirit going, and to speak up against everyday acts of intolerance. Watch the Pantagraph News video about the ISU march.
March 14, 2008 - 9:00pm
On March 13, over 150 Silicon Valley leaders gathered in Palo Alto, CA to try to tackle a long-term problem that affects each one of us. They weren’t venture capitalists or CEO’s, engineers or tech gurus seeking to address the looming traffic jam on the web, or the effects of the economic temblors on high tech investment. They were citizens, school leaders, police chiefs, city managers and clergy members who came together to talk about how to deal with intolerance.
March 14, 2008 - 9:00pm
In January, over 200 students, faculty, and staff members gathered at Skidmore College in Saratoga, NY to launch their school’s first Not On Our Campus campaign. Patrice O’Neill, Executive Producer for The Working Group, presented the Not In Our Town film and shared stories about other Not In Our School/Not On Our Campus efforts around the U.S.
The audience, which included College President Philip A. Glotzbach and several of his cabinet members, engaged in an open discussion about how everyday acts of bias can surface on campus, how students can stand up to intolerance, and how Skidmore can be a model of acceptance and diversity. Skidmore students also created their own Not On Our Campus pledge, committing to speak up against hateful acts.