MEDIA ADVISORY: Community To Hold “Love Lives Here” Event Tomorrow At Florida Holocaust Museum

ST. PETERSBURG, FL - Mayor Kriseman, community leaders and faith organizations are holding a “Love Lives Here" event at the Florida Holocaust Museum in St. Petersburg on March 9 to stand in solidarity with those who have been targeted by acts of hate. This event has a goal of encouraging a community-wide response by institutions and individuals to create greater understanding and connection rather than fear of differences.

The gathering comes following a dramatic spike in hate crimes, including bomb threats at Jewish community centers, racist and anti-LGBT graffiti, violence targeting ethnic and religious minorities and just last week a fire at the Islamic Society of New Tampa that was ruled arson.

The event will begin with a press conference followed by a community dialogue with a panel of faith and community leaders. After the panel, participants will engage in several interactive exercises to help them identify commonalities that bridge the diversity of the group. The event will end with a call to community action and the creation of a visual display that will be showcased around the Tampa Bay area to spread the message that love lives here.

• WHAT:     “Love Lives Here: No Place For Hate” Event​​
• WHEN:     6:30 PM Thursday, March 9, 2017
• WHERE:   The Florida Holocaust Museum, 55 5th St S, St. Petersburg, FL 33701
• WHO:        
  • ​St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman
  • Elizabeth Gelman, The Florida Holocaust Museum
  • Jeff Johnson, Love Not Fear
  • Nadine Smith, Equality Florida
  • Imam Azhar Subedar, EmergeUSA
  • Joran Slane Oppelt, Tampa Bay Interfaith Alliance
  • Father Bob Schneider, Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg
  • Rabbi Jacob Luski, Congregation B’nai Israel of St. Petersburg
  • Rev. Kenneth Irby, Historic Bethel AME Church
  • Dr. Gagandeep Mangat
• WHY:     We to stand in solidarity with those who are being targeted by hate and make a statement that love is more powerful. We want to learn from each other how to help those in fear's way stay safe. And we want to counter the fears we harbor within ourselves by meeting people who walk different walks than our own. This evening is not about politics, it's about people. People across the political spectrum can agree that threats, attacks, and abuse are not the sign of a healthy society. This evening is about standing together to show that Love Lives Here.

This event is open to the public. To RSVP, visit: https://tinyurl.com/LoveLivesHere orFacebook.com/events/1846713022209812/

Organizations participating: Love Not Fear, Florida Holocaust Museum, Emerge USA, Anti-Defamation League, the City of St. Petersburg, Interfaith Tampa Bay, Equality Florida Institute, Catholic Diocese of St. Petersburg, Congregation B’nai Israel of St. Petersburg and the Historic Bethel AME Church.