The Not In Our Town film crew had the pleasure of joining the city of Lancaster, Calif. during its Not In Our Town Anti-Bullying Week, a collaboration between the city and four primary and secondary school districts.
And we weren't the only ones. Check out Fox 11's story and broadcast, "Lancaster High Students Drown out Bullying—Literally" here.
Look forward to our upcoming Not In Our Town video featuring Lancaster's homegrown Not In Our Town Anti-Bullying program. Here's a sneak peek from our footage:
About Not In Our Town Lancaster:
Blog
November 12, 2010 - 5:46pm
What began as one educator’s effort to create a safer environment for her middle school campus has blossomed into a citywide movement. Next week, Lancaster, Calif. will promote an anti-bullying message geared at the city’s 50,000 students and will memorialize those lost to school bullying.
The city, at its Oct. 26 city council meeting, dedicated the week of Nov. 15-19 to the Not in Our Town Citywide Anti-Bullying program. During the first days of the week, 200 student ambassadors from the four primary and secondary Lancaster school districts will conduct anti-bullying activities at their 20 home campuses. Students will perform a musical dramatization, "Darkness to Light Memorial Service," at the Lancaster Performing Arts Center on Nov. 17.
November 6, 2010 - 5:44pm
All students at South Ocean Middle School in Patchogue, N.Y. gathered to remember Marcelo Lucero and hear a message from his brother Joselo Lucero urging them to resist hate.
Prinicpal Linda Pickford opened the program and welcomed Joselo Lucero, Mayor Paul Pontieri, and Michael Locantore, the new Superintendent of Patchogue-Medford School District.
After the assembly, students gathered in front of the school to view a new exhibit of "Embracing Our Differences" banners.
November 4, 2010 - 5:36pm
Two years after a hate crime rocked the small Long Island village of Patchogue, N.Y., the community will come together to remember local resident Marcelo Lucero and to pledge to work toward peace, harmony, and unity in the wake of Lucero's violent death.
Lucero's younger brother, Joselo Lucero, is organizing a vigil on Sunday, Nov. 7 and has invited youth to create positive messages for a Wall of Hope at the ceremony. Patchogue mayor Paul Pontieri and the Village Trustees will be participating in the event.
November 4, 2010 - 5:13pm
Stanford Social Innovation Review interviewed Not in Our Town executive producer Patrice O'Neill for their Fall 2010 article, "What's Next: Drowning Out Hate." The article traces community-building origins in Billings, Mont. to our coverage of upbeat counter-rallies in West Virginia.
Contributing editor Suzie Boss also spoke with Southern Poverty Law Center Intelligence Project director Mark Potok. By featuring citizens fighting against intolerance, The Not in Our Town website, Potok said, "has made this into a national idea." He elaborates:
"Communities can see how to use these events to create discussions that would never occur otherwise," he adds. The Billings story stands out, he adds, “as one of the most brilliant, homegrown responses to hate this country has ever seen."