Hate & Bias Community Meeting Break Out Groups Summary
August 29, 2022

• Need to bring all groups together to form one coalition. Too many groups working separately in community and not together.

• Organizations identified that have several community representatives on board and are already working to bring everyone together:

Lexington Commission on Race Relations
The Humanitarium
Lexington Network

• Coalition needs to provide a quick action network to address hate/bias incidents and assist victims.

• Need to include the Faith Community and Arts community.  Too often forgotten in other community initiatives.  Downtown Christian Task Force is a Faith Community contact.

• First step to develop small core group to make decisions on direction and steps to form Coalition.

• Utilize e-mail list serves to communicate

• Communicate day-to-day information on what is going on in the community. Do not wait for a situation to present itself. Be proactive rather than reactive.

• Include youth in coalition

• Plan event(s) to address hate and bias issues

Group #2 Plans for Action to Immediate Hate Incidents/Activities

• Gather models of responses that have worked in other communities

• Look at "Not in Our Town" model as a possibility

• Have more on-going activities that communicate a positive message

• Develop an email listserv of all those who are in attendance for an "instant response"

• Use those in attendance as a rapid response network

• Literally have blacks and whites arm-in-arm as a barrier to hate

• Need to reach youth and others to encourage them not to respond violently

• Have a plan to meet at another location at the time of the rally for a positive program

• Have a community picnic at the time of the rally at Jacobson Park or other location

• Recognize that we must start talking about race and tolerance

• Use the rally as the impetus to begin community dialogues about race relations

• Focus on educating the community

• Need to steal the hate groups thunder, especially in the press

• Contact all congregations to assist in encouraging participation/publicizing an event

• Need to fill the gap created by the absence of any interfaith clergy association

• Need to use humor in any response (if you've got lemons, make lemonade - you can't sing a song with just one note)

• Make sure schools are teaching tolerance

• Protest Idle Hour Country Club as a local, on-going symbol of the divisions the Klan represents

• Necessary to have a visible response

• Resurrect the word Love (have a campaign around "Lexington Loves _______")

• Proactively hold a reconciliation rally

• Part of the problem is lack of awareness of the positive things already happening in the community, need better communication

• Use downtown signs and banners as a sign of welcome and acceptance

• Celebrate, rather than just tolerate, differences - hold a multicultural festival

• Hold an event that is fun - incorporate band contests, choral competitions, etc.

• Need to stay focused, have clear communication - rumors will undermine us

• Hold a very loud concert about 2 blocks away from the Klan rally to drown them out and steal their audience

• Need to involve UK and mobilize the university population

• Need to do something whether the Klan comes or not - it's a shame to waste this energy (Stop the Hate vigil)

• Develop a symbol that the community can rally around and display to show their support (i.e. Not in Our Town model).  Possibly use the symbol to raise funds to get positive programs going in the community.  Possibly use the Yin/Yang symbol.

• Do something creative and different - involve the media (radio, TV, etc.)

• Identify a means of creative confrontation

• Place banners across bridges with a positive message

• Make sure the arts community is included - use the arts as a vehicle for activism

• Find positive channels for the energetic response of youth - would prefer energy of youth, even if misdirected, to community apathy

• Educate youth to be non-violent peacekeepers

• Make sure that local calendars of events (WEKU) are utilized

Group #3 Prevention of Hate Group Youth Recruitment

• Provide youth in community with a sense of belonging

• Present a cohesive positive effort by coming together as a coalition

• Communicate to youth

• Encourage youth to participate in programs

• Role models to give alternative messages must be visible in community.

• Implement an Educational/Awareness program

• Recognize and publicize positive youth programs

• Get parents involved and  give them tools and resources such as e-mail access

• Have young people design a shirt as part of involvement in coalition movement

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Last modified: 04 Sep 2022