Uniting Across Our Differences to Fight Fascism & Hate with Andy Levin

Former Rep. Andy Levin, who was also formerly president of his synagogue, has generously agreed to travel to Grand Rapids next Friday, Oct. 23, 11-12:30 pm, to help lead a community conversation entitled “Uniting Across Our Differences to Fight Fascism & Hate.” The event is aimed at (1) discussing some of the fears, concerns, and Islamophobia we are seeing around Dr. El-Sayed’s US Senate candidacy and (2) beginning to build more trust and understanding between our different faith, ethnic, and racial communities.

Joining Andy Levin will be Wesley Watson, a well-known Black leader, who is active in the local and state Democratic party and works on environmental policy; Rev. Nathan Dannison, minister at Fountain Street Church, who also has close Jewish and Israeli family; and Farah Naz-Ahmed Berent and Zahabia Ahmed-Usmani with Women for Abdul, who have been doing “Ask a Muslim” coffee conversations around West Michigan. Rev. Kelsi Jones, with Grace Church on Buckley and West Michigan Clergy Action, is kindly hosting the event at her church.

I very much hope you will consider attending this event and helping to publicize it and to encourage others to attend. US democracy and marginalized and/or disadvantaged communities are facing extreme threats. Much work is needed to strengthen democratic culture, trust, and solidarity, as well as democratic procedures, voting rights, civil liberties and rights, the rule of law, etc.

I hope to see you next Friday.