This post originally appeared on the ACLU of Northern California's Blog.
By Jory Steele
Like many people around the world, Nelson Mandela is one of my greatest heroes. I was incredibly fortunate to move to South Africa several months before he was elected the first democratic president of South Africa. I was coming of age, just as South Africa was transforming itself. It was a magical, hopeful time, and Nelson Mandela was at the center of it. His smile had the power to light the world, and he used his gentle, yet unbending strength to bring down an unjust regime and build a democratic nation in its place.
Blog
December 6, 2013 - 6:11pm
Agender Teen Seeks to Move Forward
Sasha Fleischman, a Berkeley high school student who was severely burned while riding the bus, returned to their Oakland home on November 27. Sasha, who identifies as agender, preferring the pronoun “they”, was targeted for wearing a skirt. The 16-year-old suspect now faces hate crime charges as an adult.
In an interview with ABC news, Fleishman exuded warmth and clarity, speaking out for the first time since the harmful occurrence. With a desire to move forward, Sasha spoke about the suspect with the news station.
“They probably didn’t realize how big of a deal it was going to be, how harmful it would be. I don’t want to be too harsh. If I had my way, I’d have him tried as a juvenile,” Sasha told ABC.
December 5, 2013 - 5:16pm
Photo Courtesy of The New York Times
Nelson Mandela, the globally recognized champion of human rights, helped to shape his nation, the African continent, and the entire world. His work of bringing community together against hatred and intolerance aligns perfectly with the mission of Not In Our Town, and he will continue to serve as inspiration for us along with countless others.
December 4, 2013 - 5:43pm
Valerie Hughes and a participant. Photos by Pam Allen-Ellis
Valerie Hughes stood in Bissell Park in Oak Ridge, TN watching an 8-year-old paint scars onto the faces, necks and hands of anyone who would sit still long enough. “This is what bullying looks like,” he told his human canvass.
Valerie and her local Not In Our Town group managed to pull the young and old of Oak Ridge into a community event called Paint Over Pain on Oct. 25 to celebrate that “we are all ‘flawesome.’”
December 3, 2013 - 2:17pm
For weeks you notice that your child has been more withdrawn than usual. He or she barely sees friends anymore outside of school, and also seems to be “feeling sick” much more frequently, just to get out of going to class. After incessant probing, your child finally admits to you that a group of the “popular” students has been taunting him or her. It started with name-calling about some arbitrary trait, but then other students joined in and the teasing intensified. Kids even started spitting on him or her. Your child’s only allies have decided it was safer to stop being friends, leaving your baby to stand alone against this blatant bullying.