‘No Hate in Our State’ town hall coming to Blair County, residents invited

ALTOONA, Pa. (WTAJ) — A “No Hate in Our State” town hall will take place in Altoona, hosted by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission (PHRC).

In collaboration with the Blair County NAACP, the PHRC will host the town hall Wednesday, Oct. 2 from 6 to 8 p.m. It’ll take place at the Railroad City Cultural Center at 1247 14th Street.

The town hall is meant to help “bridge divides” and “foster understanding” in communities. It provides an open forum where residents, activists and others can come together to voice concerns, learn about their rights and begin the “healing process,” PHRC said in a release.

PHRC said the following will be in attendance:

• Harriet Gaston – Founder of the Blair County African American Heritage Project, Blair County NAACP branch historian, Penn State Altoona staff
• Victor Thomas – Former professional basketball player, local pastor of a historically Black congregation, health care community representative (Gloria Gates Medical Care)
• Bill Wilkinson – Retired law enforcement professional, security consultant, community policing advocate
• Chad Dion Lassiter- PHRC executive director
• Sheryl Meck- PHRC civil rights division director

You can register in advance to let the PHRC know you’ll be there.

Stay up to date with the latest news in the palm of your hand. Click here to download the WTAJ app for Apple and Android devices.

The PHRC enforces state laws that prohibit illegal discrimination. To file a complaint, call 717-787-4410. Information and resources are also available on the PHRC website . You can follow the PHRC on X , Facebook , Instagram , LinkedIn , and YouTube , and you can subscribe to their monthly newsletter.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WTAJ - www.wtaj.com.