Deliberating Antisemitism and Antiracism
Who
What
What
This initiative is part of a project from a University of Central Florida Master of Public Administration Class on 'Deliberative Public Problem Solving' with Pegasus Professor Thomas Bryer.
What
What
What
Join students and community members in public conversations to engage in community deliberation focused on establishing an office that addresses antisemitism and antiracism.
Read
What
Read
Discover what the students are reading to include fiction, provocation, history, public policy, and methodological education. Read along with students in preparation for the public conversations.
Join
What
Read
Join us on Saturday, November 8 and 22, 2025 (9am-11:00am) for Zoom deliberations. Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions but are welcome to join for just one. Registration is required.
Our Collective Deliberative Mission
Fight Antisemitism-Promote Antiracism
1. Design an office that can be established in a higher education institution, business, or government organization, ensuring that its actions can neither be fairly interpreted as antisemitic nor racist. This consideration prompts a deeper exploration of antisemitism and antiracism: Are they woven from the same fabric, or do they represent mismatched cloths? Engaging in community deliberation on this topic can foster understanding and awareness.
2. Affirm, modify, or reject the legitimacy of individual/experiential and group-based diversity, as well as values- and interests-based inclusivity, alongside barrier-reducing equity as strategies that promote human flourishing for this and future generations.
3. Ensure the office is governed and managed in a manner that is acceptable to all stakeholders, promoting transparency and inclusivity in its operations.
4. Create a toolbox of activities and responsibilities for the office that aligns with multiple interests, facilitating an environment where diverse perspectives can coalesce.
5. Apply the office's toolbox retroactively in the aftermath of significant events such as the killing of George Floyd, the massacre and hostage-taking of Israelis by Hamas, and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
(Note: The image here is AI-generated and, admittedly, provocative. This course and public experience aim to provoke thought and inspire creative thinking. Perhaps a new graphic will emerge from this process. If the graphic offends, it is not intended to. Please share your reactions and reflections so that, as a community, we can learn together and become more accepting, understanding, and empathetic.)
Read Along with Students in the Class
Start with Fiction
One effective method for initiating public conversations on challenging topics, such as antisemitism and antiracism, is to begin with a shared experience that helps individuals step outside their immediate reality and explore alternative perspectives. Roman Stories is a book that fosters community deliberation by starting the conversation about recognizing and respecting diverse lived experiences, encouraging readers to move beyond preconceived notions of identity.
Jump to Provocation
After some self-reflection and early conversations with colleagues, friends, and family inspired by the fictional tale, we dive into the rougher waters of provocation. Ta-Nehisi Coates challenges us to engage in community deliberation and pushes us into the deep end of the pool where we can exercise our conversational muscles, particularly around topics like antisemitism and antiracism, that we began to develop while reading the work of fiction.
Steady the Mind, Check our Relationships
After swimming through some potentially turbulent waters, we will find our collective rhythm, engaging all our conversational muscles. Schumer's book provides a rich historical view with a warning that underlines the importance of addressing antisemitism and antiracism. This will serve as our steppingstone to foster community deliberation through public conversations on Zoom.
The Method
Before launching our public conversations on Zoom, we will take a closer look at the method of deliberative democracy, which serves as our foundational focus. Curato, Hammond, and Min guide us through the approach to community deliberation and the challenging issues of power related to antisemitism and antiracism before, during, and after deliberation. We ask ourselves, 'What good is talk? Why bother?' This book will provide insights on how to effectively address those questions.