Jewish American Heritage Month

Posted By admin on January 24, 2021

Civil right has many avenues. Some begin with a path towards racial justice and others may begin with a journey towards religious freedom. Together they can intersect and work towards building bridges powerful enough to counteract the biases that continues to permeate our nation.

BET and [tbh] Together Beat Hate, an organization focused on creating replicable models for fighting antisemitism and other forms of prejudice, racism and hate, are joining forces to shine a light on heroes of the past and leaders of today who are using their platforms to combat hate. The partnership launches in celebration of National Religious Freedom Day (Jan. 16) and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day. (Jan. 18) by recognizing two greats in American history who dedicated their lives to fighting for religious freedom and racial equality: Rabbi Joachim Prinz and Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr.

Too often, racial, ethnic and religious groups are pitted against one another in their respective quests for equality, both in the United States and globally. These two men epitomized the notion that marginalized groups often have more in common than not and displayed that in their work.Rabbi Prinz was the right there with Dr. King as the last speaker to take the stage before his "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963 proving that the respective missions of individual groups are best served when viewing the struggles of others with empathy and compassion.

Antisemitism, racism, prejudice and all forms of bias are objectively dangerous forces that exist as undercurrents of our society, and we must all leverage our spheres of influence to eradicate these forms of hate, wherever they appear, said Scott Mills, BET President.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. has said darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Through our partnership with [tbh] we will shine a light on those who serve as illuminating forces in the face of inequality, creating a better, more equitable future for us all.

We are living during a time in which various forms of hatred have once again become socially acceptable, and it is incumbent upon all of us, no matter our race, religion or background, to stand up against it, said Robert Kraft, Chairman and CEO of the Kraft Group and founder of the [tbh] movement.

I am grateful to Shari Redstone and Scott Mills for their shared vision and investment in this partnership. The BET brand and the movement of [tbh] both seek to build bridges between communities while at the same time celebrating our uniqueness. We believe in the power and importance of leading with compassion to promote voices and platforms that do not bow to hate, and we are excited to team with BET in this important work.

All of us at TBH are so honored to work with BET on this crucial initiative, especially in the challenging times our country is facing," said Josh Kraft, President of Kraft Philanthropies. "And there are no more powerful bridge builders in American history than Dr. King and Rabbi Prinz who spent their lives unifying all groups through love, hope and equality. We hope to continue celebrating these values through the TBH /BET partnership.

BET and [tbh] will work together over the next few months to celebrate leaders in various areas as the country celebrates pivotal moments in history and social movements: National Religious Freedom Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January), Black History Month (February), Womens History Month (March), Sexual Assault Awareness Month (April), American Jewish Heritage Month (May) and Pride Month (June).

The partnership also encourages each individual to make a commitment to learn from diverse perspectives as a means of educating one another with compassion. Start by using social media to recognize and honor the heroes in your life who go to great lengths to fight against hate.

Follow @BET and @togetherbeathate on Instagram and use the hashtag #tbhBET to share a post about your hero throughout January where you could then be featured as a part of the campaign.

We can together beat hate.

More:

BET Joins Forces With Together Beat Hate For National Religious Freedom Day And Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.... - BET

Category: Jewish Heritage Month
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