'Two Towns of Jasper' documents the reaction of Jasper Texas residents during the trials of three (white) men who murdered (black) James Byrd Jr. by tying him to a truck and dragging him 3 miles down a country road.

A black crew filmed the black residents; a white crew filmed the white residents. There was no interaction between the two crews until the film was edited.

Two of the groups involved in the film screening tonight were:

Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF)
and
Women as Allies.

Following the film there was a moderated discussion. The question was raised; why talk about this here and now?

And how can we talk honestly?

It was pointed out that FBI statistics show California had 3 times (adjusted for percentage of population) the reported number of hate crimes as Texas in 2001:

– California: 2246 crimes for a population of 34,501.130; ratio to 1000 population - .065
– Texas: 434 crimes for a population of 21,214,801; ratio to 1000 population - .020

There was a signup sheet for those interested in continuing the discussion on an ongoing basis.

For more information on the PBS documentary 'Two Towns of Jasper' click here.