Blog
September 30, 2010 - 5:40pm
“This is an aged hand that is working to mend the heart that’s been broken, and we can all do that—mend each other’s hearts.” Ruth Monaco, Patchogue quilter
September 15, 2010 - 4:04pm
In the aftermath of a hate crime, how do teachers open a conversation with their students about hate and intolerance? After seven high schoolstudents assaulted and killed Ecuadorean immigrant Marcelo Lucero in Patchogue, NY, local educators were shocked that this could happen intheir town. At South Ocean Middle School, Principal Linda Pickford wantedto create a safe environment where her students could express theirfeelings about the tragedy, and share their ideas about diversity,immigration, inclusion and respect.
When Patchogue Mayor Paul Pontieri suggested that Principal Pickfordhost an art exhibit called “Embracing Our Differences,” she agreed thatart was a great medium to explore these important issues, and shemounted the collection of banners on the front lawn of her school.
September 15, 2010 - 1:42pm
Members of San Francisco's Coalition on Hate Violence say that California's recently-released hate crime report represents a cause for deep concern, but not for reasons you might expect.
According to "Hate Crime in California 2009," released mid-July by the California Department of Justice, there was a 21.3 percent decrease in hate crime incidents last year, from 1,397 incidents in 2008 to 1,100 in 2009.
But coalition members, who represent a cross-section of law enforcement, constituency groups and non-profits, say this apparent decline may not represent an actual drop in hate crime, but a decrease in the reporting of those crimes. As we described in an earlier blog post, hate crime is often under-reported for a variety of reasons ranging from victim fear or lack of access to law enforcement to untrained or resistant police and district attorneys.
September 3, 2010 - 2:25pm
By Ralph Lewin, President & CEO, California Council for the Humanities
This article was originally published in the Summer 2010 issue of the California Council for the Humanities newsletter.
To read Ralph Lewin's interview with Patrice O'Neill, Not In Our Town Executive Producer and CEO, please click here.