(JEWISH GROUP) Dr. Lomax's Statement (of the United Negro College Fund) on the Recent Rise in Antisemitism

[Behind the Aegis]

In recent days, two acts of violence have struck at the heart of the Jewish community, stark reminders that hatred remains alive among us. In Washington, D.C., a Jewish American woman and her Israeli fiancé were horrifically murdered as they left a reception at the Capital Jewish Museum. In Boulder, Colorado, Molotov cocktails were thrown during a peaceful protest calling for the release of hostages held in Gaza. The intent of both violent incidents was clear: to sow fear, to spark terror and to remind us that hatred, left unchecked, smolders and burns. As Black Americans, this flame is painfully familiar. We have seen it before, in the torches carried through darkened streets, in the crosses set ablaze on front lawns, and in the midnight knocks that tore fathers, mothers and children from their homes. It is a hatred we know well, clothed in different garb but fueled by the same malevolent fire. The violence inflicted on Jewish Americans today echoes the terror that gripped Black communities during the Jim Crow era.

Out of those long nights of fear, bonds were forged in the crucible of shared struggle. The relationship between the Black and Jewish communities was built on common purpose. It was Jewish brothers and sisters who marched with us in Selma, who stood with us in Birmingham, who bled beside us for civil rights. It was their pens that helped write the anthems of our movement and their moral clarity that strengthened our resolve. Today, as we confront this resurgent wave of antisemitism, we are reminded that the hatred that targets one of us threatens all of us. The same bigotry that demonizes the Jewish people fuels anti-Black racism, anti-LGBTQ animus and every form of dehumanization that corrodes the soul of our nation. History teaches us that silence in the face of hatred is complicity. Our shared history teaches us that progress has always come when we stand together and raise our voices.

At UNCF, we reaffirm our unwavering commitment to stand against all forms of hatred. We are proud of the bridges built between the Black and Jewish communities, partnerships rooted in resilience and a common dream of freedom. We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters, not as newly minted allies, but as partners bound by a shared legacy of resilience and a shared dream of liberation. As we raise our voices against the unresolved hatreds that linger from our past, we stand arm in arm, heart to heart, not just as witnesses to injustice but as architects of a future rooted in justice and love. We are resolute in our commitment to build a world where dignity and humanity prevail, knowing that when we fail to speak for others, we risk a future where no one is left to speak for us.



Dr. Michael Lomax's signature





Dr. Michael L. Lomax
President & CEO
UNCF (United Negro College Fund)

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