GREENSBORO, N.C.—
Area churches, schools and businesses are making ribbons to wear this weekend in silent protest of a neo-Nazi group, which is hosting a regional conference at a Greensboro hotel."We don't agree with their message," said Donna Strickland-Smith, a pastor at Hinshaw United Methodist Church.
The National Socialist Movement plans to host its regional party business meeting at an undisclosed hotel. On its Web site the group bills itself as the largest and most active of its kind. The Movement says its core beliefs include the promotion of white separation and the preservation of European culture and heritage. Messages left for the group were not returned.
Group leaders say their goal is to promote white civil rights and they chose Greensboro for the meeting because of it's central, East Coast location.
Greensboro's faith-based community leaders feel the National Socialist Movement's views do not represent the majority of the community.
"We felt like it was a time for leadership, but we wanted to make a silent statement," said Deborah Kintzing with the Greensboro Jewish Foundation. "So that statement comes wearing multicolored ribbons that represent the diversity of our community."
By bind the different-colored ribbons together, Strickland Smith wants the community and the neo-Nazi group to see everyone was created equal.
"We all belong here. We're all together," she said. "God made us different and we're beautiful when we're together.
