Kansas City PBS will air “Healing Hate,” a new documentary chronicling Mindy Corporon and Sunayana Dumala’s friendship forged after two tragic hate crimes, including the 2014 antisemitic shootings outside of The J and Village Shalom.
“Healing Hate” will premiere on Kansas City PBS Channel 19.1 on Thursday, April 11, at 7 p.m.
“Kansas City PBS is honored to bring ‘Healing Hate’ to our viewers. This documentary has the potential to inspire and ignite a collective commitment to stand against hate, fostering a more inclusive Kansas City,” said Kliff Kuehl, president and CEO of Kansas City PBS.
Directed by local filmmaker Solomon Shields, “Healing Hate” explores two Kansas City-area hate crimes involving the families of Mindy Corporon and Sunayana Dumala. The documentary was funded in part by the Jewish Community Foundation’s Ronald & Susan Goldsmith Philanthropic Fund and Community Legacy Fund.
Corporon lost her 14-year-old son, Reat Underwood, and 69-year-old father, Dr. William Corporon, in the April 13, 2014, shooting outside of The J. The gunman then drove to Village Shalom, where he killed 53-year-old Terri LaManno.
The motivations of the murderer were antisemitic — according to The Kansas City Star in May of 2014, he had a list of kosher places to eat, synagogues and a printout for the KC SuperStar competition occurring on the day of the shooting.
Dumala’s husband, Srinivas Kuchibhotla, was shot and killed in a Feb. 22, 2017, hate crime in Olathe, Kansas. A white supremacist shot Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, two Indian immigrants, at a bar. A third man, Ian Grillot, was injured as he intervened. Madasani and Grillot survived, but Kuchibhotla did not.
These tragic events brought Corporon and Dumala together and led to the creation of their respective organizations, SevenDays and Forever Welcome. Both organizations work to prevent hate crimes by fostering understanding and promoting inclusivity.
“Healing Hate” is meant as a testament to Kansas City’s ability to come together after tragedy. The film issues a call to action, encouraging viewers to join the movement against hate and become catalysts for positive change.
“I want people to feel inspired. I hope that people feel that as everyday people, we can all do something to stop hate crimes from happening,” said filmmaker Shields.
More information about the film is available at kansascitypbs.org/healinghate.
