Fifteen years ago, the Not In Our Town movement got its start in Billings, Montana: area code 406 [1].
This year, 406 marks another milestone for the Not In Our Town movement. Today, on 4-06-10, we're celebrating the official launch of NIOT.org [2]: a new way for people to take action against hate and build inclusive communities.
For nearly two decades, the Not In Our Town: Billings story [1] has inspired others around the country to create new ways to stand together for acceptance and safety. These are the stories of hope you'll find -- and the amazing people you'll meet -- on NIOT.org [2].
No matter where you are, you can be a part of this new chapter in the Not In Our Town story. Here are three things you can do today:
Watch and share a Not In Our Town video [3]. Since last Thursday, over 140,000 people have viewed our video, "Gunn High School Students Sing Away Hate Group [4]." People from around the world have shared their thoughts and reflections about the students' response on the NIOT Facebook page [5] and video page [6].
[5]Connect with Not In Our Town [7]. It's easy to stay informed about the latest NIOT news: fan Not In Our [5] Town on Facebook [5] and follow us on Twitter [8]. You can help spread the word on 4-06 by posting a message to your Facebook page about why it's important to stand up and speak out against intolerance. If you're on Twitter, send out a tweet or two about Not In Our Town -- and use the hashtag #niot so we can track all the 4-06 tweets!
[9]Tune in to Link TV on April 6 for the new Not In Our Town special [9] "Communities Uniting Against Hate," followed by "Not In Our Town: Billings." The new half-hour show features stories from Fremont, CA; Olympia, WA; Palo Alto, CA; Fort Collins, CO; Cleveland, OH; and Southern Missouri. (Click for channel info and air times.)
[9]
Here's what people are saying this week about 4-06 and Not In Our Town:
AlterNet: How To Fight Hate When it Shows Up in Your Community [10]
Care2: Hate? Not In Our Town! [11]
Salon.com: High school fights a hate group -- with song [12]
Change.org: Not In Our Town [13]
Rory O'Connor via OpEd News and Gather.com: Not In Our Town: Communities Use Media to Combat Hate [14]
*Photo credit: Frederic Brenner