[3] As part of the scholarship on race relations connected to the film, Lyon co-authored the paper "Digital Divisions: Racial Injustice and the Limits of Social Informatics in The State of Georgia vs.

[6] Lyon and Karim traveled to Tulsa and Chicago to conduct interviews,[3] and footage of the race riot survivors was acquired from the film Before They Die!

People interviewed in Hate Crimes in the Heartland include: In January 2014, Lioness Media Arts announced a partnership with The Ford Foundation, Amnesty International, and the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice at Harvard University for a series of national screenings and discussion forums.

[19] Following the film's release, JustFilms Director Cara Mertes of the Ford Foundation stated, "Hate Crimes in the Heartland revisits powerful moments in American history — past and present — that remind us of the profound racial tensions that have shaped the country's trajectory.

"[7] David Harris, Managing Director of the Charles Hamilton Houston Institute for Race and Justice, emphasized the film's potential for public education.