Marysville, Wash. — What would you do if one of your neighbors was killed in a hate crime? Think about it. Think about it with your fellow community members.
Sno-Isle Libraries will host screenings and public discussions of a new PBS documentary, “Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness,” at 10 community libraries. These screenings are part of Sno-Isle Libraries’ “Issues That Matter” series of programs that encourage important community dialogue.
 

Arlington Library
12/6
6:30 pm
Camano Island Library
12/12
9 am
Granite Falls Library
11/28
6 pm
Lake Stevens Community Center
12/15
6 pm
Langley Library
12/29
6:30 pm
Lynnwood Library
12/15
3 pm
Mountlake Terrace Library
12/13
6:30 pm
Mukilteo Library
12/12
6:30 pm
Snohomish Library
12/12
6:30 pm
Stanwood Library
12/15
1:30 pm

“Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness” tells the story of residents of a Long Island village taking action after a local immigrant is killed in a hate crime attack by seven teenagers. While starkly revealing the trauma of hate, the film provides a blueprint for people who want to do something before intolerance turns to violence.
The hour-long documentary, narrated by Academy Award® nominee Alfre Woodard, will be followed by a discussion about what local residents can do to stop hate in their community. Communities across the country use the film to initiate dialogue about intolerance and anti-immigrant violence.
Libraries in two Sno-Isle communities, Oak Harbor and Freeland, already held their “Not In Our Town” screenings and discussions in September. Both libraries reported strong community enthusiasm and support for the film and discussion that followed.
For library address information, visit http://www.sno-isle.org/?ID=1177. For specific screening information, visit http://www.sno-isle.org/explore/issues-that-matter-niot/. The screenings and discussions are funded by the Sno-Isle Libraries Foundation.
 
About Sno-Isle Libraries
Sno-Isle Libraries serves 671,000 residents in Snohomish and Island counties.  Sno-Isle has community libraries in Arlington, Brier, Camano Island, Clinton, Coupeville, Darrington, Edmonds, Freeland, Granite Falls, Lake Stevens, Langley, Lynnwood, Marysville, Mill Creek, Monroe, Mountlake Terrace, Mukilteo, Oak Harbor, Snohomish, Stanwood, and Sultan, as well as bookmobile stops in communities and at senior centers. Services and materials include more than 1.3 million items, reference services, electronic databases and computer equipment, Internet access, outreach programs for the homebound and local daycares, and story times for children. For more information on library services in your area, please call the Sno-Isle Libraries Service Center at 360-651-7000 or 1-877-SNO-ISLE (1-877-766-4753), or visit the website at www.sno-isle.org.
 
About the Film
In 2008, a series of attacks against Latino residents of Patchogue, New York, culminated with the hate crime killing of Marcelo Lucero, an Ecuadorian immigrant who had lived in the Long Island village for 13 years. Seven local teenagers were arrested for the attack and one was charged with murder. Over a two-year period, the story follows Mayor Paul Pontieri, the victim’s brother Joselo Lucero, and Patchogue residents as they openly address the underlying causes of the violence, work to heal divisions, and begin taking steps to ensure everyone in their village will be safe and respected.
 
Not In Our Town:  Stop Hate. Together.
Not In Our Town highlights communities coming together to stop hate. Developed by The Working Group in 1995, Not In Our Town began with a PBS documentary that told the story of how people in Billings, Montana, joined together to respond to a series of hate crimes in their town. This simple, powerful story of people banding together struck a chord with audiences, and created a model that inspired viewers around the country to hold their own campaigns against intolerance.
 
For more information about Not In Our Town: Light in the Darkness, including the film trailer, discussion guides, and press materials, please visit NIOT.org or PBS.org/NIOT.