Not In Our Town

Patrice O'Neil producer and filmmaker traveled to Charleston, WV last month in a whirlwind of follow up presentations to her award-winning PBS documentary “Not in Our Town." Patrice, along with NIOT Civic Engagement Coordinator Jason Wallach, toured West Virginia and led a series of open discussions about how to build safe, strong, hate-free communities throughout the state. Their new NIOT website was created in response to an overwhelming interest nationally as a tool for more discussion on race and tolerance and anti-violence measures.

Individuals from Morgantown, Logan, Charleston, and Montgomery, among others, attended the various sessions to learn more about continuing the dialogue, putting a stop to hate crimes and creating inclusive communities. At the first meeting held at the Charleston Area Alliance, the crowd was larger than expected and quite diverse. Guest speakers from Montgomery, WV were present to tell their story about being the target of a racially motivated harassment and beating (the officers have since been sentenced and incarcerated for their crimes). Attendees were moved by their story and expressed mixed feelings on how to move past dialogue into action and what kinds of dialogue and/or actions would be practical and useful. The crowd was motivated to make use of the new NIOT web page for continued discussion and brainstorming.

The subsequent meeting held here at our YWCA headquarters was also well attended, and several young people expressed their disappointment at the failure of their local school board for not including language to protect the rights of gay and lesbian students under the anti-violence policy. It was encouraging to see young people tell their stories and continue to voice their concerns.

The YWCA of Charleston, in conjunction with its umbrella organization OneKanawha, has since decided to become a virtual NIOT organization to put Charleston, West Virginia on the NIOT map. OneKanawha is a coalition of Charleston area organizations and individuals who share a commitment to living as a part of an inclusive community. Born during the summer of 2008 out of a series of community dialogs, OneKanawha's central purpose is to foster dialogues and conversations that will increase understanding among diverse people. OneKanawha is based out of the YWCA of Charleston, whose Racial Justice Coordinator serves as a facilitator.

Any person who shares a commitment to insuring that the greater Charleston continues to develop as an inclusive community is welcome to join the OneKanawha online network and keep up on the activities and events of OneKanawha. Email nfleming@ywcacharleston.org if you'd like to join the OneKanawha network - OR put yourself on the map by telling us what you've done to take positive action against hate and stand up for inclusion!

Plus, click here for a slideshow of photos from NIOT's visit to Charleston.

Hate Crimes Prevention Act signed into law after a decade of advocacy

More than 10 years after the brutal murders of gay college student Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., an African-American man, President Obama signed legislation named for them on October 28, 2009: The Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act. The new law updates existing federal hate crimes statutes by expanding the legal definition of a hate crime to cover crimes committed because of a victim’s actual or perceived gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or disability and lift restrictive requirements regarding engagement in a federally-protected activity. Also, the law provides resources to law enforcement officials including federal training and direct assistance, to combat violent, bias-motivated crime.

President Obama offered words of praise and encouragement to those who worked tirelessly on this legislation. "You understand we must stand against crimes that are meant not only to break break bones but to break spirits. Not only to inflict harm but to instill fear," the President told a crowd gathered in the White House East Room on October 28. The President cited FBI statistics of more than 12,000 reported hate crimes based on sexual orientation over the last 10 years. He noted that many incidents are never even reported.

Together with teary-eyed family members of Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., President Obama stood at the podium and announced: "No one in America should ever be afraid to walk down the street holding the hands of the person they love. No one in America should be forced to look over their shoulder because of who they are or because they live with a disability." We encourage you to watch the full video below on this milestone celebration.

The Southern Poverty Law Center has cited a rise in the number of hate groups resulting from anti-immigration rhetoric, the severe recession and the election of a black president. The FBI has reported an increase in hate-motivated violence particularly against Hispanics and lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) people. Hate crimes victimize both individuals and communities and tend to be much more violent than other crimes.

Passage of the legislation culminates more than a decade of advocacy by over 300 organizations including the YWCA USA. We are so encouraged that measures such as this bring us small steps closer to our mission and the mission of YWCAs across the globe: eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom and dignity for all.