Events

Coming Soon:
The Role of Sports in Combating Racism and Antisemitism

Vikings at Redskins, 11/12/17. (Image source: Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons)
Phoenix Mercury, timeout, 2016 WNBA semifinals (Image source: Susan Lesch/Wikimedia Commons)

Previous Events

MLK’s Teachings in Today’s World:
Combating Racism and Antisemitism

This program was sponsored, and presented, by TheALLIANCE at the 25th Annual Greater Philadelphia Martin Luther King Day of Service on January 20, 2020. The event is the largest King Day event in the nation, seeking to promote year-round volunteer service and civic engagement. It was held at Girard College in North Philadelphia.

Featured speakers were:

Chad Dion Lassiter, Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission.

Mr. Lassiter spoke about our common humanity, that we are all the children of Abraham. Our world is made up of people with different ethnicity, customs, religion, and skin color, all members of the Beloved Community playing a role in promoting the central tenets of the civil rights movement, which are truth, love, and kindness. Together, we can address the triple evils in our world: poverty, racism, and militarism

Mr. Lassiter talked about Dr. King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail, citing the need for nonviolent resistance to racism. Individuals and groups of people from different backgrounds can come together with an open heart and an open mind. We need to break bread and build trust, and it can be done. We look forward to delivering this message in Philadelphia, throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and beyond, within the context of improving relationships between African Americans and Jews.

Dr. Asaf Romirowsky, Executive Director of Scholars For Peace in the Middle East.

Dr. Romirowsky cited the rich history of Blacks and Jews working together, and in particular during the civil rights movement in America. Dr. King preached that people should judge, and be judged, “based on the content of their character, not the color of their skin’. Polish born Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel was an active participant with Dr. King during the civil rights movement, including his participation the Selma Civil Rights march. Dr. Romirowsky talked about the need to resist all forms of racism, and confront anti-Semitism from all its sources, which are three: the far right, the far left, and Jihadism. We need to better understand and define racism and antisemitism, and address it whenever and wherever it appears. And, antisemitism is indeed a form of racism.

TheALLIANCE is interested in repeating this program for other audiences and in other venues.
For more information about TheALLIANCE or this program, please contact:

David Edman, Co-Founder – [email protected]

Or Rabbi Earl Bowen of Temple Beth El in Philadelphia – [email protected]