Today marks the third anniversary of the death of Marcelo Lucero, Ecuadorian immigrant and Patchogue, N.Y. resident. According to the Patchogue Patch, approximately 100 people attended services dedicated to Marcelo Lucero and other victims of hate crimes this weekend.
At the services, Marcelo's brother, Joselo, thanked the crowd for attending.
"I really feel like this is what I want from the beginning," Joselo Lucero said, "just to have two communities in one place getting along in harmony."
Attendees honored other hate crime victimes lost and injured and wrote messages of peace and love in both English and Spanish. After the services, the crowd marched to the spot Marcelo Lucero was killed and scattered roses in his name.
Blog
October 31, 2011 - 12:49pm
On Oct. 19, 60 residents of Redlands, Calif. got together for a screening of Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness, sponsored by the Redlands Police Department, the Human Relations Commission, and a variety of other groups, and moderated by University of Redlands Race and Ethnic Studies Professor Keith Osajima.
Participants in the discussion found it easy to see the parallels between the conditions that led to the murder of Marcelo Lucero in Patchogue with those in Redlands. In the Redlands Daily Facts article, one woman noted that she “fears for her nephew, a gay student at Redlands High School. ‘We don't talk about homosexuality in this town,' she said. 'We need some (openly gay) leaders to give our young kids an opportunity to grow.’” The group also discussed how the Redlands community responded to the double homicide of two teens earlier this year.
October 26, 2011 - 11:25am
A professional writer and educator in Fort Collins, CO, Ellissa J. Tivona, Ph.D., is also a member of the local Fort Collins Not In Our Town Alliance. In a recent contribution to Coloradoan.com, Tivona shares her thoughts being part of a community that stands together as one in times of need.
I've made a decision. On Sept. 11, 2012, instead of dredging up nightmare images of 9/11, I intend to remember where I was this year.
October 25, 2011 - 12:25pm
San Antonio’s KLRN joined communities across the nation in addressing hate by hosting a screening of Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness in conjunction with the Not In Our Town National Week of Action. The public television station teamed up with the peaceCenter for the screening and a community discussion, both held at the center on Sept. 20.
With more than 40 attendees and an insightful discussion about issues facing the San Antonio community, the event was a “great success,” according to KLRN’s Education Associate Jennifer Herrera.
October 24, 2011 - 11:27am
When David Lubell moved to Tennessee, he saw the immigration population grow quickly in the state in a matter of years.
"It doesn't take long to watch the news or listen to the radio and see there were people talking about immigrants and it was really negative," said Lubell, the former executive director and founder of the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRCC). Lubell is now the executive director of Welcoming America.
Working closely with the immigrant community, he felt there was a huge gap in the conversation. He often heard of the "one bad apple of every 50,000."
"There's no one to tell the story of the majority who are contributing, who are working hard, to build a livelihood for their family and making their community better overall," he said. "It's a gap that happens whenever there's a new community who comes to town."