20th Anniversary of Original Not In Our Town: Screen the Film
Twenty years ago in Billings, MT, a brick was thrown through a 6-year-old Jewish boy's bedroom window, where he had placed the family's Hanukkah menorah. The anti-Semitic incident was one of several hateful acts in Billings that year, including skinheads at an African-American church, racist hate messages on a Native-American woman's home, and the desecration of the Jewish cemetery.
Townspeople of all races and religions swiftly moved into action. Religious and community leaders, labor union volunteers, law enforcement, the local newspapers and concerned individuals stood united and spoke loudly for a hate-free community, proclaiming in no uncertain terms "Not In Our Town!"
The Billings story is part of our origin story here at the Not In Our Town project and every holiday season we are reminded of the incredible courage of those who stand up for their neighbors. In 1995, our PBS film Not In Our Town launched a movement nationwide, spurring hundreds of communities like yours into action.
This 20th anniversary is a moment to reaffirm the values from the story that sparked a movement. We offer you a complimentary screening DVD and discussion guide of the original Not In Our Town film. As the holidays bring us together, bring your community together to discuss safety and acceptance for all.
Get Your Complimentary DVD
To screen the original Not In Our Town film with complimentary screening DVD, follow these easy steps.
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Complete this short form with your address and screening information [1]. Once we confirm your date, we will send you the DVD.
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Download the free discussion guide, “Watching Not In Our Town Together [2]”
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After your screening, we welcome donations of any amount for the film [3]. You can keep the DVD for your collection or donate it to your local library or school.
Questions? Email us at info@niot.org [4]
How Can A Screening Help Your Town?
The uplifting story of people in Billings who stood up for their neighbors continues to inspire people across the country and around the world. The story of this town can help your community discuss how to address bigotry, bullying and the intolerance that festers under the surface, so hate crimes may be prevented. Join with diverse neighbors, faith, law enforcement and civic leaders, students and school leaders to create your own story of change and community healing.
By hosting a screening, you can:
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Be a proactive, rather than reactive, force in your community
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Open the conversation about your town and begin working toward solutions
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Welcome new faces and voices to participate
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Reinvigorate old members
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Become a Not In Our Town Network member
After the Screening: Build Momentum for the National Movement
Tell us about your screening and plans for action so we can share it with the Not In Our Town community. Then prepare to have your community represented in Billings, Montana in June 2014 for our second National Leadership Gathering, which brings together leaders from groups nationwide. Stay tuned for more information.
The Not In Our Town screening can lay the groundwork for future screenings. In February 2014 film, Not In Our Town will release Waking in Oak Creek, a film about the heroic actions of police officers and powerful community response to the 2012 hate crime killings at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin.