In recent years, white nationalism has experienced a major resurgence in the United States and elsewhere. In response to this phenomenon, the Jewish Museum of Maryland will present a virtual two-part series, “Confronting White Supremacy: Yesterday and Today,” on Tuesday, June 15, and Thursday, June 17, from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Partnering with the JMM on the free program are the Baltimore Jewish Council, The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore and the Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education in Portland.
“The program fits within the JMM’s larger work of using education and community dialogue as tools for confronting anti-Semitism and racism in all its forms,” said Sol Davis, the East Baltimore museum’s executive director. “The series will help attendees make clearer and deeper connections about the anti-Semitism that appeared at the ‘Unite the Right Rally’ in Charlottesville [Virginia], the murderous attack on the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, and through to the insurrection at the [U.S.] Capitol earlier this year.
“The clearer our understandings and analyses of how anti-Semitism functions within white supremacy, the more effective we can be at confronting it.”
Speaking at the June 15 program will be Eric K. Ward, a nationally recognized expert on authoritarian movements and hate violence. Ward will explore the correlations between anti-Semitism and white nationalist ideology.
“Some may ask, ‘Why does the JMM focus on this particular manifestation of anti-Semitism?’ and the answer is because our museum is located in the United States, a nation that has grappled with white supremacy since its founding,” said Davis. “In the last five years, we have seen numerous examples of anti-Semitism overtly operating as a core of white supremacist violence. … This series will help us contextualize and anchor our understandings of anti-Semitism and learn about some of the tools being leveraged to prevent future harm.”
At the June 17 program, Amy Spitalnick, executive director of Integrity First for America, will speak about “White Supremacy in 2021: Putting Violent Extremists on Trial.” Integrity First for America is a nonpartisan civil rights nonprofit based in New York City.
Spitalnick’s presentation will explore the trajectory from Charlottesville to the Capitol and investigate the ways in which violent extremists should be held accountable.
“As we work to combat anti-Semitism, we know that education is critically important – educating our Jewish community as well as the broader community,” said BJC Executive Director Howard Libit. “Programs like these, featuring a pair of top experts, are an important part of that education effort. Personally, I anticipate that I will learn from both speakers and find ways to apply what they say to our anti-Semitism work.”
For information, visit jewishmuseummd.org/events/the-root-of-white-supremacy.
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