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Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr.
By Mary Eshet The Stan Greenspon Holocaust Education Center is dedicated to preserving Holocaust memory and equipping individuals to confront antisemitism and hate in all its forms. On Jan. 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Center will host a dynamic program honoring Holocaust memory and the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., highlighting the historic ties between Black and Jewish communities
and their shared pursuit of justice and human dignity.
The evening includes a Holocaust commemoration, a tribute to Dr. King, a screening of the
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film“ Shared Legacies,” and a moderated conversation with Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., the national civil rights leader who, at just 14, served as a statewide youth coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in North Carolina. Chavis witnessed firsthand the profound partnership between the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, a relationship that continues to inform how we understand moral courage and collective responsibility, today.
This year’ s program will also unveil the selected design for the Circle of Humanity: Monuments for Unity and Remembrance, planned for Marshall Park in uptown Charlotte, N. C. This community-driven initiative unites two enduring symbols of resilience and justice— the existing Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and a new Holocaust Memorial— creating a shared space for education, remembrance, and the pursuit of human dignity.
“ Charlotte has long needed a more robust Holocaust memorial – a place that will provide a space for education, awareness
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and reflection on the atrocities we must never forget,” said Rabbi Judy Schindler.“ The Circle of Humanity will create a very special place that honors the memory of oppression that Jews and Blacks share, and the hope for a world driven by human dignity and justice for all.”
Hosted jointly by the Stan Greenspon Holocaust Education Center, the Charlotte NAACP, and the Charlotte Black-Jewish Alliance, the event will weave together remembrance, dialogue, and collective hope. It will take place from 7 to 8:45 p. m. at Queens University and is open to the community. Registration is available at https:// bit. ly / january2026event.
Past Greenspon Center commemorations of International Holocaust Remembrance Day have featured Stephen Smith, executive director emeritus of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute; the launch of the“ Seeing Auschwitz” exhibit; and a conversation with rock musician Geddy Lee.
“ We have many pathways to study the past and translate remembrance into action,” said
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Judy La Pietra, director of the Stan Greenspon Holocaust Education Center.“ The Greenspon Center is honored to co-host this |
event and to lead the creation of a new Holocaust memorial for Charlotte.” |