We Stand With El Paso, Gilroy and Dayton by Taking Action in Our Communities

Twenty-two people lost their lives to hate in El Paso, and at least 24 more were injured. Just days earlier, another young gunman, fueled by white nationalist rhetoric, killed three people in Gilroy, CA. Although the motive is not yet known, nine people were killed by another shooter with an assault rifle in Dayton, Ohio on Saturday night.

The devastation to each of their families and these communities will last for years and years. No one thinks it will happen in their town, and then it does. That's what the son of a victim at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh told us. His mother was killed just before she was to read the Prayer for Peace.
To families and friends who have lost someone to hate, please know, we will stand with you. The way we stand is with our actions. We have to bolster our communities and build connections and communication as hate escalates. Read more at the NIOT Blog.

Photo credit Kajal Magazine
Paramjit Kaur, Suveg Singh Khattra, Satwant Singh Kaleka, Prakash Singh, Ranjit Singh, and Sita Singh were murdered that day. Three other people were seriously injured. Photo credit Kajal Magazine
On an August Day, a Hate Crime Attack Shook People Around the World

Seven years ago this week, six lives were taken at the Sikh Temple in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, in what was then the deadliest hate crime attack in US history. In the wake of this weekend, there is much to learn from the residents of Oak Creek about how a community can heal and transform after deep harm. 

 Read more  at the NIOT blog.  

NIOT Leaders Meet Susan Bro

NIOT leaders met with social activist Susan Bro earlier this month in Oakland, CA. Susan is the mother of Heather Heyer who was killed by a white supremacist in Charlottesville nearly two years ago this summer. She has been a tireless activist bringing attention to white supremacist violence and advocating for more effective ways to prevent hate crimes. NIOT leader Patrice O'Neill conducted an interview and audience Q&A with Susan for an upcoming NIOT podcast. We'll let you know when we post it at NIOT.org.

Remembering Gary Svee

NIOT joins the Billings community in mourning the passing of journalist and editor Gary Svee. Gary died last month at the age of 75.  His career as reporter and editor at   The Billings Gazette   spanned four decades - he covered everything from the moon landing to the birth of the Not in Our Town movement in Billings in the 1990s. 

Gary's words provided a powerful closing moment to the original Not In Our Town film about community actions to stop hate when white supremacists were organizing in the town in the early nineties. "One tiny candle we lit, and I was very proud of Billings for that," he said. Gary Svee and many of people of Billings who stood up to hate at a perilous moment in the community helped ignite a movement across our country and around the world.  

Our gratitude, thoughts and prayers are with Diane Svee, his family, colleagues at the Gazette and the community of Billings.  

Read more  at The Billings Gazette.  

Summer Film Series: Host a NIOT Screening!

Not In Our Town is offering FREE films for community gatherings to galvanize support for hate crime response and prevention. The Ad Council is also offering their powerful 11 minute film Rising, written by Lena Waithe and directed by David Nutter (Game of Thrones) as part of this program.  Read More + Plan Your Screening Now



NIOT Wins IVOH Award!

Images and Voices of Hope (IVOH)  believes that media can inspire us to imagine and create a better world. In partnership with storytellers, IVOH seeks to shift the public dialogue from fear and despair to hope and possibility.

Every year, IVOH holds an  annual gathering of creatives, thought leaders, change makers and trailblazing storytellers. This year's focus was on "Restoring Community, One Story at A Time." 

NIOT is proud to announce that IVOH honored founder Patrice O'Neill with the 2019 Images & Voices of Hope Award of Appreciation. This annual award recognizes media professionals who have done exceptional work with storytelling aimed at strengthening people, communities and media as a whole. She's pictured here wit h Jon Funabiki,  IVOH  Board Member, Director of Renaissance Journalism and Professor of Journalism at San Francisco State University.  


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