January 2019 E-News

Greetings! In this edition of the NIOT E-News, we look back at the past few months to reflect on all the great work being done in communities across the country. There were screenings held all over California as part of November's United Against Hate Week campaign; in October, NIOT members participated in candlelight vigils and other shows of unity and support for the Tree of Life Synagogue shooting victims and our NIOT film team was on the ground in Pittsburgh (pictured, below) ; and during national Bullying Prevention Month Not In Our School groups took a stand against bullying, intolerance and all forms of hate.

(There will be more on the upcoming PIttsburgh film in an upcoming E-News.) This month NIOT films are screening in Troy, Michigan; Bridgehampton, NY; and in libraries across Ohio. NIOT groups in Billings, MT; Bloomington-Normal, IL; Long Island, NY; and many more communities organized Martin Luther King Jr. events to reflect on the legacy of the civil rights movement, how it affects their communities, and how we can continue to be "upstanders, not just bystanders," when we witness injustice. In November, the FBI released its annual hate crimes report. For the third year in a row, the incidence of hate crimes was up, rising by 17 percent in 2017. The report shows there was a nearly 23 percent increase in religion-based hate crimes and a 37 percent spike in anti-Jewish hate crimes.  There is much work to be done and as always Not In Our Town is honored to stand with you , united in the face of intolerance and hate. Warmly, Patrice O'Neill

GUEST POST: 'HOLIDAY' REVISITED

After a 20-year battle, the Greenville County Council finally voted to officially adopt the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday in 2004, making it the last county in the state of South Carolina to do so. In this post, resident Jim Hennigan recalls the battle, the NIOT documentary that never got made and what it's like in Greenville today. Read more

NEW JERSEY MAYOR PLEDGES TO BECOME NIOT GOLD STAR CITY

Sadaf Jaffer created history of sorts earlier this month when she took oath as the mayor of Montgomery Township in New Jersey on January 3. She is the first-ever South Asian woman and the first Muslim to serve as a mayor in New Jersey. Mayor Jaffer, a cofounder of the local NIOT-Montgomery chapter, says she plans to pursue  Gold Star Status and to continue the  monthly community building events she's been organizing  for the past year.  Read more

SANTA MONICA COLLEGE JOINS 'NOT ON OUR CAMPUS' MOVEMENT

In November 2018, Santa Monica College joined the nationwide 'Not On Our Campus' (NOOC) campaign. The NOOC campaign seeks to empower every member of the SMC community to join in creating and maintaining a safe and inclusive environment. We welcome the faculty and students of SMC to the Not On Our Campus movement! Read more

UNITED AGAINST HATE WEEK MOBILIZES BAY AREA CITIES

At a time when hate is rising as a toxic poison in our country, Bay Area Stands United Against Hate Week is an initiative focused on eradicating hate and bullying, eliminating implicit bias and driving civil discourse as the norm in our communities. Twenty cities, towns and counties, and over 35 school districts, colleges and community organizations participated in the inaugural week of events held Nov. 11-18, 2018. Not In Our Town was proud to be a cosponsor of the week and many events. We were thrilled to hear that North Hempstead, NY Town Supervisor Judi Bosworth also observed the week by supplying several  Little Free Libraries  in Town with a collection of books with themes of tolerance, diversity and inclusion.  In 2019, we hope that other communities across the country will join the campaign. Read More

EMBRACING THE DREAM: CELEBRATING THE LEGACY OF MARTIN LUTHER KING IN AMERICA TODAY

Every January, Not In Our Town honors Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy by sharing the real life stories of people who are applying Dr. King’s principles today. Dr. King’s work proves that change is indeed possible in this country. The communities in  Embracing the Dream: Lessons from the Not In Our Town Movement  are living proof of that — town by town, school by school, they demonstrate that change is happening.

NIOT EVENTS

This month and next there are NIOT film screenings and teach-ins planned in Troy, Michigan; Athens County, Ohio; Tiburon, CA and Bridgehampton, New York.  Bookmark our NIOT Events page to stay in the loop as we announce more events in 2019. Follow us on Facebook for more event listings and links to other events around the country. 

We been called upon to do so much this year and our fundraising has not matched our mission. We need your help so If you can,  please give now. Thank you for supporting the next generation of leaders to build safe, inclusive schools and communities for all.

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