Obama Advisor Leads Discussion on Religious Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America

November 1, 2012

WELLESLEY, Mass.—On the day following the 2012 elections, Wellesley College in partnership with Facing History and Ourselves, will welcome the public to gather for an important conversation on the future of religious pluralism in America, with one of the nation’s leading visionaries on the topic.

Eboo Patel, founder of the Interfaith Youth Core and member of President Obama’s inaugural Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, visits Wellesley on Wednesday, November 7 to lead a discussion on interfaith cooperation in the face of religious extremism.

This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, please click here

WHAT: Sacred Ground: Pluralism, Prejudice, and the Promise of America - A Conversation with Eboo Patel.

The event is co-sponsored by Facing History and Ourselves, an organization that works to combat bigotry and nurture democracy through education. Since it was founded in 1976 in Brookline, Massachusetts, Facing History and Ourselves has grown from an innovative course taught in a single school district to an international organization with more than 150 staff members in Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, London, Los Angeles, Memphis, New England, New York, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Toronto, and partnerships worldwide.

WHO: Named by US News & World Report as one of America’s Best Leaders of 2009, Eboo Patel founded the Interfaith Youth Core in 2002 to help counter the forces of religious extremism. In his new book, Sacred Ground, Patel explores the role of religious pluralism in American history. 
 According to Patel, “Standing up for someone else is the most American thing you can do. From George Washington through Jane Addams and Martin Luther King, it's how this nation was built. I'm proud that Interfaith Youth Core is with Facing History and Ourselves and Wellesley College on an event that hopes to inspire and mobilize the forces of pluralism in our generation."

Victor Kazanjian, Dean of Intercultural Education and Religious and Spiritual Life at Wellesley College, will present remarks.

WHEN:  Wednesday, November 7, 2012, 7:00 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.

WHERE: Wellesley College, Houghton Chapel and Multifaith Center, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, MA

About Wellesley College
Since 1875, Wellesley College has been a leader in providing an excellent liberal arts education for women who will make a difference in the world. Its 500-acre campus near Boston is home to 2,400 undergraduate students from all 50 states and 75 countries.

Press Contact:
Sofiya Cabalquinto, 781-283-3321, scabalqu@wellesley.edu