PHRC brings ‘No Hate in Our State’ town hall to Charleroi
Bringing communities together and eliminating hate are key goals of the “Non Hate in Our State” town halls.
On Wednesday, the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission brought that message to Charleroi.
PHRC executive director Chad Dion Lassiter said the purpose of the town halls, which are being held across the state, is to unite community members.
“Do we want a homogeneous community, do we want a belonging community, do we want a community that’s equal opportunity, do we want a community that’s divisive, split along class lines, socioeconomic lines, race lines or political lines?” he asked. “I think events like this bring the community together where you’re hearing multiple vantage points and people are looking at things through multiple lenses. If communities do nothing else but decide this is our moral compass, this is how we treat people, the community is doing something that most communities don’t see themselves doing, which is fostering a community within the community.”
Charleroi Borough Manager Joe Manning said local governments can’t enact policies to combat hate, but leaders can help bridge divides.
“The people you elect can lead by example and show how to live in the community,” he said.
Emily Holmes, senior state program officer for Common Ground USA, agreed.
“Local leaders should foster opportunities for community cohesion,” she said. “It’s a lot harder for a person to say they hate someone or a group of people if they meet that person or someone in that group personally.”
Charleroi has drawn national and worldwide attention since President-elect Donald Trump referenced the borough’s immigrant population in a campaign speech. Tensions in the borough followed, with inflammatory and derogatory remarks about immigrants cropping up on social media, prompting a few Haitian students to withdraw from school as parents feared for their safety. Ku Klux Klan fliers also appeared at homes of some of the immigrants.
Manning said Charleroi’s administration displayed great leadership in guiding the borough through a time when there was such a negative view cast upon it.
“They stepped forward and said that’s not who Charleroi is,” Manning said. “That’s not the image we want to portray.”
Local business owner John Lunt feels immigrants, particularly Haitians, have been given some unfair advantages. Still, he said, “I don’t hate the Haitians, there’s no reason to hate them.”
Jimmy Alexandre, a Haitian native who has lived in Charleroi for about a year and a half, said the Haitians have helped, not hurt, the community. He operates the Haitian Resource Center and hopes the organization can develop relationships with borough residents.
“Crime has not increased,” he said. “We have not taken away anything financially. Actually, we have helped the economy. We are building businesses. We are providing services in the community. At some point, we have to start participating in the community. We are financially investing in the community, but we have to start participating in what the community has to offer.”
Councilman Larry Celaschi questioned why the event was brought to Charleroi at this time since it will focus more attention on the borough.
“I wasn’t really happy about it,” he said. “We’ve been in the worldwide spotlight. Why now? Why one week before Christmas? This is my concern that we’re going to be in the spotlight again. Why did you pick Charleroi when things were starting to calm down?”
He also suggested another such forum, with a more diverse panel that would include community business owners and homeowners.
Lassiter came away from Wednesday’s event with an optimistic eye toward what could happen to bridge any gap that may exist in Charleroi and was pleased that he was asked to return.
“I think people were able to hear one another,” he said. “People were able to listen to one another, talk to one another and hopefully learn from one another.”