Joe Biden decided to run for president after the appalling, deadly Neo-Nazi march in Charlottesville, Virginia, in 2017 — and six years later, antisemitic hatred is still trending upward. According to the FBI, American Jews account for 2.4% of the U.S. population, but they are the victims of 63% of reported religiously motivated hate crimes.
As the White House's website puts it, "While antisemitic incidents most directly and intensely affect the Jewish community, antisemitism threatens all of us. Antisemitic conspiracy theories fuel other forms of hatred, discrimination, and bias — including discrimination against other religious minorities, racism, sexism, and anti-LGBTQI+ hate.
"Antisemitism seeks to divide Americans from one another, erodes trust in government and nongovernmental institutions, and undermines our democracy," it continues.
That's why the Biden-Harris administration is taking a stand. In December 2022, President Biden initiated the Interagency Policy Committee on Antisemitism, Islamophobia and Related Forms of Bias and Discrimination, which is led by the White House Domestic Policy Council and National Security Council.
Their first order of business? To conceive — and put into action — the first-ever U.S. national strategy in opposition of antisemitism in the United States.
With the help of 1,000 stakeholders from all walks of life and spheres of American society, the plan details more than 100 new actions that Executive Branch agencies are taking to counter this scourge — all to be completed within a year of the overall launch.
As the plan gets underway, the Recording Academy is joining the fight. In July 2023, the world's leading society of music people will host a listening session with Recording Academy leadership that is specifically curated for creators in Jewish music. The objective of this event is to foster a welcoming, inclusive environment, where leaders in Jewish music can work together to engender a sense of community and trust.
Additionally, the Recording Academy will collaborate with the Black Jewish Entertainment Alliance to present a panel discussion commemorating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop. The panel discussion aims to honor and celebrate hip-hop while acknowledging the fruitful, world-shifting cultural collaborations between Black and Jewish leaders within the music industry.
For more information on the various moving parts of this plan, visit the White House's website. Join the Recording Academy, and all involved in this righteous strategy, in countering hate, bigotry and discrimination wherever you see it — including the Jewish community worldwide.
