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."
For Bernstein, the proclamation will encourage others to speak out against hatred.
proclamations
Cities and towns across the United States have passed proclamations to stand together for unity and acceptance.
Enlist your Mayor to draft a Not In Our Town proclamation. Line up other leaders such as the Chief of Police, Attorney General, religious and business leaders, and prominent members of the community. Once it's passed, invite members of the general public, including students, to sign on.
Here are proclamations from Rockford, IL, San Diego, CA, Patchogue, NY, Lincoln County, OR, and San Antonio, TX as well as a general sample proclamation you can use as inspiration for writing your own.