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.