Working with the Leaders of Tomorrow

I was honored to be invited by Dr. John Eaves, who leads the Black and Jewish Leaders of Tomorrow nonprofit orgaization, to join him in a recent conference titled: “Stop The Silence: Antisemitism and Anti-Black Racism.” Our goal was to build bridges and cultivate relationships between Black and Jewish college students as well as train them on how to adress the rise of hate on college campuses. There I presented on the Hamas-Israel War and how to navigate difficult conversations that promote histories over narratives.

Students asked excellent questions and were highly engaged as thought provoking questions were posed by their peers. Some included: “Where can I get trustworthy and reliable information if what is seen on the news is not the whole story?” and “Is the two-state solution even possible given the war?” and “How can one tell the difference between Hamas fighters, Hamas supporters and civilians who do not share those radical ideas?” and “How can we promote allyship when peers are very entrenched in their ideas and beliefs?”

I have much hope for the future when I see young people of different backgrounds coming together to learn. Even when disagreeing with one another, or challenging mindsets, they did so with respect, tolerance, and empathy.