Bill Johnson, John Witherspoon School principal, and Not In Our Town receive Community Spirit Awards.
By: Jennifer Potash
The Princeton Human Services Commission bestowed honors on an individual and group for efforts to promote diversity and tolerance in the community Thursday.
The commission and the Princeton Human Services Department, which address the needs of senior citizens, youth, civil rights and welfare in Princeton Borough and Princeton Township, launched the inaugural Community Spirit Award at the commission’s annual Community Networking Breakfast held at the Nassau Club. The event brings together human services providers, municipal officials and other nonprofit organizations.
The award recipients were Bill Johnson, principal of John Witherspoon Middle School, and Not In Our Town, a faith-based community coalition.
Marge Smith, Human Services Commission chairwoman, said the commission wanted to recognize outstanding individuals and groups that work to build Princeton into a more diverse and tolerant community.
Mr. Johnson, who has served as principal of the middle school for 29 years, worked with the Human Services Department to establish an annual conference at the middle school called "Rising Above." The program encourages seventh- and eighth-grade students to embrace diversity and involves a keynote speaker, small group sessions with peer groups and skits to stimulate discussion, Mr. Johnson said.
In addition, the middle school next month will have a "Mix It Up Day" where students are encouraged to break away from daily seating habits during lunch and eat with new people.
"It’s a cool thing that we do," Mr. Johnson said.
Not In Our Town was founded six years ago as an interfaith and multiracial coalition committed to speaking out against racism and other forms of prejudice in the community while promoting reconciliation and mutual respect.
John Powell, a Human Services Commission member, said Not In Our Town drew 1,000 signatures from Princeton residents decrying a series of bigoted letters distributed in the community by an out-of-state group and worked closely with the Human Services department to conduct a Unity Summit.
Barbara Flythe, a member of Not In Our Town, said the group also works on minority education issues with the Princeton Regional Schools, runs a weekly group for selected seventh-graders called "Talking About Differences" and, in collaboration with Princeton University students, runs a yearly program called "Crossings" for high school and middle school students.
The member organizations of Not In Our Town are The Aquinas Institute, Christ Congregation, the Islamic Society of Central New Jersey, the Jewish Center of Princeton, Nassau Presbyterian Church, Princeton Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends, Princeton United Methodist Church, Trinity Episcopal Church, Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Princeton and Witherspoon Street Presbyterian Church.