San Antonio’s KLRN joined communities across the nation in addressing hate by hosting a screening of Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness in conjunction with the Not In Our Town National Week of Action. The public television station teamed up with the peaceCenter for the screening and a community discussion, both held at the center on Sept. 20. With more than 40 attendees and an insightful discussion about issues facing the San Antonio community, the event was a “great success,” according to KLRN’s Education Associate Jennifer Herrera.
Panelists included Winifred Barnum-Newman, executive director of Race Unity Day; Hisham Batar, assistant director of the Refugee Program at Catholic Charities; as well as Making Efforts to Reach Out to the Community sponsor JoAnn Jin Mena; and Jonathan Ryan, executive director of Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services.
Local community leader Patricia S. Castillo of Putting an End to Abuse Through Community Efforts (P.E.A.C.E.) Initiative led the discussion, which ranged from being culturally sensitive in respect to a predominately Latino community to bringing awareness to refugee students learning to adapt to U.S. culture, said Herrera.
After the discussion, the panelists set aside time for one-on-one talks with community members interested in learning more about how to bring tolerance and respect to their town.
“Attendees left with resources, and a new mindset of being aware and respectful of the various cultures that thrive within our city,” said Herrera.
During San Antonio’s participation in Light in the Darkness events, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro declared Sept. 18-24 to be Not In Our Town Week of Action in the city. See the proclamation and others here.
For more information on KLRN’s work with Not In Our Town materials, visit Inside KLRN.
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