North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth and the 'Not In Our Town: We stand with Pittsburgh' sign on the front lawn of Town Hall.

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth is observing Not in Our Town’s (NIOT) most recent initiative called “United Against Hate Week [1]” from November 11 to 18 by supplying several Little Free Libraries [2] in Town with a collection of books with themes of tolerance, diversity and inclusion. The books were purchased with private funds from the Supervisor.

Not In Our Town was launched in 1995 with its landmark PBS film that documented the heroic efforts of Billings, Montana citizens who stood up for their neighbors after a series of hate crimes. They inspired hundreds of communities in the United States and around the world to take action against hate. North Hempstead has been active in the organization since 2017.

No community is immune to the danger of hate that is spreading across our country,” said Supervisor Bosworth. “I hope that by filling some of the Town’s Little Free Libraries with books about diversity, tolerance and inclusion that it might sow the seeds for a better world.”

To mark the occasion, Supervisor Bosworth and the Town board will issue a proclamation decreeing November 11 to 18 “United Against Hate Week.”

NIOT addresses issues of hate and bullying, with the goal of building safe, inclusive communities for all. Since 2017 North Hempstead has held a Unity & Anti-Hate Conference and hosted a NIOT student photo contest in which participants submitted over a 100 photos showing how they stand up to hate in their community or school. 

North Hempstead Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth recently donated books for a local Little Free Library, located at the Port Washington residence of Jeffrey Siegel.

The Little Free Libraries in North Hempstead are located at the “Yes We Can” Community Center, 141 Garden Street in New Cassel; Ridder Pond Park on Marcus Avenue and Meadow Farm Road in Manhasset Hills and at a private residence at 46 Park Avenue, Port Washington.

A Little Free Library is a “take a book, return a book” free book exchange. They come in many shapes and sizes, but the most common version is a small wooden box of books. Anyone may take a book or bring a book to share. Little Free Library book exchanges have a unique, personal touch. There is an understanding that real people are sharing their favorite books with their community; Little Libraries have been called “mini-town squares.”

Some of the books include:

• Listen to the Child [3]ren [4] by Elizabeth Conde-Frazier
• Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry [5] by Mildred D. Taylor
• Twenty and Ten [6] by Claire Huchet Bishop
• It’s Okay to be Different [7] by Todd Parr
• The Colors of Us [8] by Karen Katz
• Kindness Starts with You [9] by Jacquelyn Stagg
• Freedom Summer [10] by Deborah Wiles
• Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl [11] by Anne Frank

Related Links

Podcast: United Against Hate [12] — When members of white supremacist groups began a campaign to hold rallies in Berkeley and Oakland, California, a group of community leaders came up with a way to make a statement that neo-nazis, their hatred and their ideas were not welcome in the East Bay. 

United Against Hate Week [13] — The week of November 11-18, 2018 has been designated United Against Hate Week. The campaign is designed to bring communities together to learn from each other, surface local concerns and seek solutions. We hope you will save the date and join us! Learn how to get involved [13].

Stop Hate Action Kits [14] — As hate group activities and hate and bias incidents rise, concerned community, campus, school, civic, faith and law enforcement leaders and activists actions are needed more than ever. These guides provide effective steps that can help communities face hate and bigotry, and work toward a more inclusive future.

About NIOT [15] — Learn more about what we do and all the ways you can get involved with the NIOT movement.