Slumber Party's Goal is Unity

September 21, 2000

Source: The Tampa Tribune

On September 21, 2000, The Tampa Tribune published an article entitled, "Slumber Party Won't End Without Antihate Slogan." It reports on a slumber party held for Tampa area youths sponsored by the local chapter of the National Conference for Community and Justice last year. Margarita Sarmiento, who works for the NCCJ, remembers that when she "looked around the room, she saw youths of different races, faiths, backgrounds and abilities: Christians and Buddhists, black and white, honor students, soccer stars, dropouts and those who had struggled just to go to community college. Some had parents who owned companies; others worked part-time jobs to support their single mothers...The NCCJ participants, she recalls, were passionate 'about things the kids care about,' such as violence and discrimination." Last year, the gathering was held in a converted church in St Petersburg. At around 3 a.m., "the kids, fueled by mounds of popcorn and trail mix, came up with a slogan: "Hate Hurts. Love Heals. Where Do You Stand?" The words were splashed across 100 billboards, 2,000 posters and 60,000 book covers around Tampa Bay. Saturday, for the second straight year, 30 young participants will stay up all night brainstorming new ways to spread the antihate message. The event is part of the NCCJ's CommUnity campaign, a youth-designed program that spans the Bay to address issues of peace and prejudice."