BRAINERD  (AP) — An anti-racism event that was scheduled for May has been moved up to this weekend in Baxter after a black man was beaten in an alleged racial attack two weeks ago.

The free workshop will be held Saturday. Its sponsors include the First Congregational United Church of Christ, led by the Rev. Deborah Celley.

She says the workshop will be geared to people who never considered that racism could be a problem in their area.

The event is in response to the beating of 53-year-old Willie Navy. He says one white man called him the N-word in a Brainerd bar and another knocked him out with a blow to the head.

Celley says being neighborly is a universal value. She says the forum will focus on the factors that diminish people's ability to show compassion to others.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

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