Since the original broadcast of NOT IN OUR TOWN in 1995, civic leaders and citizens in hundreds of communities across the country have created their own Not In Our Town campaigns to fight intolerance. Here are some examples.

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Auburn, ME
After a local synagogue was vandalized in 1998, Sandy Nevens, Auburn Middle School dean of students, held a screening of NOT IN OUR TOWN. A group of over 550 students attended the screening and participated in a follow-up discussion. Since then they have organized a civil rights group of students who have taught lessons on the rights of students and organized other activities on the theme of tolerance.

"'Not In Our Town?' Why not 'Not In Our School'?" says Nevens. "Not In Our Town allows students to see how prejudice can tear a community apart and how a community can stand together to defeat those who spread their hate. It is not, however, merely a history lesson, but a call to action for students to fight intolerance in the school community as well."

Bellingham, WA
Hate violence has been an ongoing problem in Northwest Washington. In 1994, there was a cross burning and a shotgun attack on a migrant labor camp in Whatcom County. Skinheads later attacked African American students at Western Washington University, and an Asian American convenience store clerk was knifed. After the Whatcom Human Rights Task Force found the Not In Our Town campaign on the Internet in 1995, the town of Bellingham planned events for each day of Not In Our Town week. Screenings were sponsored by the United Methodist Church, Whatcom Human Rights Task Force, and the environmental group Hands Off Washington. Calling themselves the Nine Mothers of Bellingham, a group of women printed an image of a pentagon of interlocking hands in the local papers and encouraged people to display the graphic in their windows. When John Trochmann, notorious head of the Militia of Montana, appeared at a militia event on Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, he was met by protesters carrying signs that read "Not In Our Town."

Bend, OR
In August 2003, Bend resident Drake Gilbert was assaulted and his jaw broken by an attacker who was apparently incensed that Gilbert was dancing with a male friend. Gilbert's decision to go public with the incident sparked a Not In Our Town campaign in Bend, spearheaded by the Human Dignity Coalition. The coalition began steps to propose an inclusive anti-discrimination ordinance for Bend similar to those already in place elsewhere in Oregon. They also began to distribute "Support Diversity" window stickers with a logo of hands forming a circle.

In January, 2004, the Coalition joined with PFLAG and Central Oregon Community College's Diversity Committee to host a community screening and forum. More than 100 people attended the event, sharing their experiences and visions for how to move forward. Local elected officials lent their support, and the event garnered radio, television and print coverage. Executive Producer Patrice O'Neill was on hand to introduce the screening of NOT IN OUR TOWN II. "Nine years after we broadcast these shows, the movement continues," O'Neill told the audience. "Not In Our Town depends on ordinary people taking steps. Yes, you in Bend are like other towns. But you are also remarkable, because your response to this hate crime is to rise above your own worlds, your own problems."

Boise, ID
After a Greek Orthodox Church and a Jewish Synagogue were vandalized in 1995, Idaho Public Television responded by devoting an episode of its weekly call-in show, "Dialogue," to the subject of hate crimes. A segment of NOT IN OUR TOWN II was shown, and three panelists, a representative from the Pocatello NAACP, a professor from the University of Idaho at Boise, and Mary Daley, of the Northwest Coalition Against Malicious Harassment, spoke about hate crimes and extremists.

For the second year in a row, Mary Daley incorporated Not In Our Town resources into Boise's commemoration of United Nations Human Rights Day, co-sponsored by Idaho Public Television, Idaho Network Against Bigotry, the local NAACP, and other organizations. Human Rights awards were presented to seven people for their work defending human rights and promoting tolerance, a youth choir sang, an interfaith service was held, and segments from NOT IN OUR TOWN II were shown. Citizen response in Idaho is motivated in part by the growth of a new wave of militia movement in the eastern part of the state.

Boston, MA
In 1995, a Not In Our Town meeting was held at Boston PBS affiliate station WGBH. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) identified 35 communities that had experienced hate crimes that year and invited city administrators from those communities to come strategize solutions. The event was so empowering that the ADL scheduled two evenings of facilitated dialogue for communities coping with hate activity and intolerance. Debbie Curley, of WGBH Community Relations said, "We learned so much. We offered people some skills, contacts, and avenues for responding to hate activity." NOT IN OUR TOWN is constantly requested by schools, and it was used in a Martin Luther King Day celebration where high school students were trained as facilitators to work with their peers.

Colorado Springs, CO
Colorado Springs was thrust into the national spotlight in 1992 when local groups spearheaded the passage of state-wide anti-gay legislation known as Amendment 2. Immediately after the 1995 broadcast of NOT IN OUR TOWN, Colorado Springs Independent editor John Weiss organized the nation's first NIOT event to open up public discussion about how to react to hate crimes in the community. Hundreds participated in a sometimes acrimonious debate, but a 1996 follow-up event discussed how Colorado Springs could learn from Billings. KTSC-TV, the local PBS station, filmed and televised the town hall meeting, which was later aired throughout the region during Not In Our Town Week. Co-sponsors of the event included the AFL-CIO and the Colorado Springs Education Association.

Columbia, TN
In 2000, Save Our Cumberland Mountains, (SOCM), a grassroots organization working for economic, social and environmental justice in rural Tennessee, held a day of workshops featuring NOT IN OUR TOWN. Leaders from the religious, civic and educational community participated in an energetic day of discussions about creating long term strategies for responding to hate crime and youth violence.

Columbus, OH
A 1995 Not in Our Agency campaign at the Ohio Department of Human Services is documented and featured in NOT IN OUR TOWN II. After the national broadcast on PBS, in 1997 the Columbus Community Relations Commission joined with a broad coalition of groups to organize two "Days of Dialogue." The events included screenings of NOT IN OUR TOWN II and discussions of the current state of community relations. One event honored the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and included small group discussions about experiences and perceptions of audience members. The other celebrated Black History Month, and included several screenings of the video citywide, most notably at the Columbus Police Department, the City of Columbus Council Chambers, and the City Year program/Americorps. Sponsors of the Days of Dialogue included: the Ohio Department of Human Services, the Community Organizing Center, the Ohio State University Black Studies Community Extension Center, the Ohio Council of Churches, the Columbus Urban League, Arab Americans of Central Ohio, and the Southern Ohio District of the Episcopal Church, among others.

Contra Costa County, CA
In 2000, after a cross was chemically burned onto a black family's lawn in Brentwood and a battle over gay rights ensued in nearby Concord, Contra Costa County community members started a Not In Our Town effort. The group not only organized to combat hate violence, but also to target subtle biases in their community. In January 2001, the multi-racial group screened Not In Our Town II for 250 of their neighbors, and then broke into small groups to discuss racism and intolerance. Not In Our Town Contra Costa has continued to operate as an ad hoc local hate crime response team. When vandals attacked an Islamic mosque in December 2002, the Tonningsens and group members left phone messages of support for worshippers and later attended services at the invitation of the mosque leadership.

Goshen, IN
Goshen has historically been home to a large Amish population, and in recent years, as Hispanic Americans have moved there from Florida and Texas they have faced discrimination. In 1996, when the Ku Klux Klan demonstrated on the courthouse lawn, claiming they had been invited by Goshen residents who were unhappy about the changing demographics, a counter demonstration was held at a park. More people showed up for the counter rally than for the Ku Klux Klan demonstration. Building on the community's response, Laura Coyne, the community outreach associate for the local PBS station, WNIT, organized a screening of NOT IN OUR TOWN II co-sponsored by the Ministerial Association, the Multicultural Alliance, and the Natural Trust For Historic Preservation.

Grants Pass, OR
In 1995, the Aryan Nation began a public recruitment drive in Oregon that was overwhelmingly and publicly rejected by the state's residents. That year, Grants Pass residents used the Billings story as a model to create their own symbol: a bumper sticker and poster that read "We Stand Together For a Hate Free Community." More than 1,500 people attended an anti-hate rally in this relatively small town. Organizers believe that the campaign was also useful in channeling individuals into Basic Rights Oregon and other on-going political organizations.

Great Falls, MT
In 1995, graffiti attacks on an African American church prompted minister Robert Caldwell to join forces with the local NAACP and the Human Rights Network to organize a Not In Our Town Week in Great Falls. Together, the group distributed 50,000 Not In Our Town leaflets in the local newspaper, sponsored an essay contest about the film in local schools, and held three screenings of the program. The fire, police, and sheriff's Departments wore Not In Our Town buttons, and the local weather forecaster continued to wear his button for months after. The campaign was enthusiastically received in the school system. Not only is the curriculum used in high schools, but a new project was initiated called "Books For Diversity," which introduces greater multicultural education in the classroom.

Greensboro, NC
The Greensboro Human Relations Commission's Committee adopted Not In Our Town as the vehicle to promote their "Other Voices" initiative. Over 100 community members attended a screening in 1999, which was followed by a panel discussion and an invitation to those attending to join the Not In Our Town campaign. The event was taped and broadcast by the government cable station. As a result, John Shaw, director of the city's Human Relations Department, reports that he's received constant requests for the video.

Greenville, SC
Alarmed by the divisions that were exposed in community reactions to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Greenville resident Sandi Lechner approached her pastor, Rev. Luonne Rouse, the African-American leader of one of the few integrated churches in Greenville, about starting a local Not In Our Town unity campaign. A hospital trauma nurse who had "never done anything political in my life," Lechner found herself embracing an unfamiliar role as community activist. The NOT IN OUR TOWN screening and town hall meeting in Greenville drew more than 100 community leaders, including many elected officials from all over the region. Community leaders and residents resolved that Greenville was no home for hate, and the county council overwhelmingly voted to pass a Not In Our Town proclamation stating that Greenville would strive to be a hate-free county.

In 2003, 10,000 Greenville residents petitioned council members to recognize Martin Luther King's birthday as a county holiday, a measure which has been consistently voted down in Greenville. Civil rights leader and Greenville native Jesse Jackson lent his support for the county holiday, and thousands marched in the streets in the largest public demonstration the county has ever seen. Greenville Not In Our Town has taken a leadership role in continuing to organize support for the holiday.

Kenosha, WI
In the mid-90s, Kenosha experienced a series of hate-motivated acts, including the "slave tagging" of African American high school students, a cross-burning in an African American minister's front yard, and discrimination against non-whites at a local restaurant. Responding to these incidents, AFL-CIO community service liaison Nancy Gantzer-Krifka organized community-wide screenings of NOT IN OUR TOWN and follow-up discussions. Since then, the community of Kenosha has recognized the need for a long-term strategy to respond to racial attacks and intolerance. In the past, the only response to hate activity came from the group that was targeted. Now, the entire community stands up and says no to hate.

Klamath Falls, OR
When a United Way survey suggested that race-related issues were the most poorly addressed problems in Klamath Falls, many residents wanted to bring discrimination and intolerance to the forefront of community discussions. After the 1995 broadcast of NOT IN OUR TOWN II, the Winema National Forest Service showed the program at family meetings in each of its four districts. Also, the Klamath Falls Youth Advisory Council (YAC) has decided to use Not In Our Town resources in its work. The YAC is made up of 15 dynamic young people who organize community events and report to teachers about issues that are important to youth. The group has decided to focus on fighting racism and prejudice.

Las Vegas, NV
After Audrey Arnold, a former hotel worker, heard about the Not In Our Town campaign from the AFL-CIO, she was inspired to bring it to the attention of the city mayor's office. She initiated the creation of a broad coalition of clergy, labor leaders, elected officials, and community-based organizations to utilize Not In Our Town resources to take a stand against hate crimes in Las Vegas. In 1996, Mayor Jan Jones issued a proclamation declaring Not In Our Town Week, and the chief of police and the district attorney pledged to crack down on hate crime perpetrators. The Southern Nevada Central Labor Council held a screening attended by 15 elected officials and dozens of community leaders. The campaign helped raise awareness and encouraged response to recent attacks against Latino and gay citizens.

Lewiston, ME
In 2003, as ethnic tensions in Lewiston, Maine reached a critical point, local residents made it clear that hate has no home in their community. Large numbers of Somali refugees had been immigrating to this former mill town, which is 95 percent white. Arguing that the rapid influx of newcomers was creating a crisis in the need for expanded social services, the mayor made a public statement asking Somalis to stop coming to Lewiston. Soon after, the white supremacist group World Church of the Creator (now know as ¬¬the "Creativity Movement") seized the opportunity to use the community's visible unrest and spread a message of hate. White supremacist leader Matt Hale planned a rally against the Somali community. Following the announcement of the hate rally, the University of Southern Maine held a screening of NOT IN OUR TOWN, and a coalition of local community groups planned a counter event. On January 11, 2003, 30 white supremacists rallied in Lewiston. But a much larger gathering of Mainers wanted to send a different message. More than 4,000 residents‹including the governor of Maine, the state attorney general and the former mayor‹turned out for the "Many and One Rally" to show their Somali neighbors that they are welcome in Lewiston.

Little Rock, AR
The Women's Project in Little Rock tracks violence against women, minorities, and gays in Arkansas and publishes an annual report on hate crime statistics. In 1996, they reached out to local churches, human rights groups, and civic organizations to host a NOT IN OUR TOWN screening. Then, after repeated attacks on a Jewish woman in rural Arkansas, more than 30 house parties were scheduled to view the program. The Women's Project has incorporated Not In Our Town resources into their ongoing work to stem hate violence and change attitudes among youth. Now, when invited by church and civic groups to give presentations on how to fight hate and violence, they include Not In Our Town in the program.

Modesto, CA
In early November 2002, a white student at Beyer High School in Modesto threatened to kill all the school's black students. School officials, under the leadership of Principal Chris Walker, aggressively responded to the incident, engaging the student body in heightened dialogue around race, diversity, and tolerance. Walker rolled out town hall meeting-like school assemblies the first week after the threat, and is developing a long-term education campaign for his staff, students and their parents which includes NOT IN OUR TOWN. Additionally, the school started a Not in Our School logo contest, with the winner's design branded on t-shirts and bumper stickers.

Also in Modesto, the city held its fourth annual "Say No to Hate"/Not In Our Town event in October 2003. The Modesto Teachers Association, the Modesto Community College, the City of Modesto, the local newspaper the Modesto Bee, and local chapter of the NAACP have all been sponsors of the event. A local Modesto artist, Sy Goldman, also designed the city's own anti-hate poster.

Novato, CA
Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey, Mayor Pat Eklund, Novato Chief of Police Brian Brady and community members held a 1996 preview screening of NOT IN OUR TOWN II. (Novato's response to a 1995 stabbing of a local Asian resident is documented and featured in the documentary.) The preview screening event was co-sponsored by 29 community organizations, including the City of Novato Multicultural Oversight Committee and PBS affiliate KRCB Channel 22. The screening was followed by a panel discussion moderated by Jan La Torre-Derby, the Assistant Superintendent of Schools in Novato.

Orlando, FL
In 1995, the Ku Klux Klan held a demonstration in a downtown square in Orlando, Florida. More than 1200 alarmed citizens showed up to protest. The timing was perfect for Jeff Truesdell, editor of the Orlando Weekly, to organize a NOT IN OUR TOWN screening and panel discussion at a local theater. The program was moderated by a local radio station personality, and generated so much interest that the local PBS station, which had originally decided not to air NOT IN OUR TOWN II, scheduled a February 1996 airdate. The videotape is in constant circulation with organizations in Sarasota, Daytona Beach, and Ft. Lauderdale. The campaign in Florida gave momentum to an anti-violence project and served as a bridge among community leaders who had no prior interaction.

Pittsburgh, PA
In Pittsburgh, the Not In Our Town campaign has been part of the community response to racism and attacks on gay citizens since 1997. There are three Aryan Nation compounds in Pennsylvania. To combat the white supremacist movement's deep-rooted hatred, Pennsylvania Network of Unity Coalitions joined with the Center for Democratic Renewal on a long-term strategy. Over 200 people attended a public forum and screening of NOT IN OUR TOWN at the Pittsburgh Filmmakers' Association. When violence struck Pittsburgh again in 2000 during a rash of hate crime killings, about 300 people turned out for a Not In Our Town rally.

Pocatello, ID
After noticing an increase in hate-related activity around Martin Luther King Day celebrations in the mid-90s, Girl Scout leader Cecily Floyd began to show NOT IN OUR TOWN at troop meetings. Since then, she organized to bring the Not In Our Town campaign to the entire town of Pocatello. In 1997, as a result of her efforts, Mayor Peter Angstadt proclaimed Not In Our Town Week in the city, and NOT IN OUR TOWN was screened at the city council chambers. Soon after, there was a town hall meeting to discuss how the community might learn from the story of Billings. The program was broadcast live on Channel 12 Community Access.

Princeton, NJ
The community of Princeton established Not In Our Town, a non-profit multiracial, interfaith social action group that provides anti-racism workshops and promotes diversity and racial understanding. The organization sponsored a lecture, "Islamic Perspectives on September 11 and its Aftermath."

Santee, CA
In March 1999, San Diego Deputy District Attorney Hector Jimenez attended a workshop presented by the Not In Our Town campaign coordinator entitled "Innovative Practices" at the Southeast Summit on Hate & Bias Crimes in Knoxville, Tennessee. Jimenez, who works in the district attorney's special operations and hate crimes unit, was scheduled to attend a community meeting the next day to meet with residents of Santee, CA, a neighborhood widely known by it's nickname "Klan Te." Residents were concerned about how to deal with two recent violent hate attacks against African Americans in their community. Jimenez took a copy of the tape, all of the remaining organizing packets, press kits, copies of the tapes, and a bunch of buttons for the meeting. Five hundred people attended the forum, where NOT IN OUR TOWN was screened.

Tillamook, OR
In the spring of 1996, an African American student at Tillamook High School was harassed and threatened so much that he left the school. After his departure, outraged students organized a sit-in to call attention to the discrimination students of varied ethnic backgrounds experienced every day. Responding to this incident and to a general climate of intolerance, Tillamook County Citizens for Human Dignity organized a Not In Our Town community event to view segments of NOT IN OUR TOWN II and strategize an effective response to future problems.

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