Day One of ‘Shaping an Omni-American Future’ Event Highlights Power of Culture to Fight Racism and Antisemitism

Leading artists and thinkers from the Black and Jewish American communities came together on Sunday for Day One of the inaugural “Combating Racism and Antisemitism Together: Shaping an Omni-American Future” conference, hosted by the Jazz Leadership Project, Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM), and American Sephardi Federation.

The unique gathering was designed as a cultural celebration to bring the communities together and deliver a resounding message against racism and antisemitism, with an emphasis on the “Omni-American” ideals promoted by the late Black American thinker Albert Murray in his writings.

The highlight of Day One’s events was the presentation of the first-annual Albert Murray Award for Omni-American Excellence to world-renowned musician, and composer Wynton Marsalis, who runs the Lincoln Center Jazz Program in New York City.

“I am deeply honored to be the first recipient of the Albert Murray award,” Marsalis said in his acceptance speech. “Al’s body of work and thought expanded my conception of the possible, of the world.”

“We are many, let us also be one, unified in our embrace of humanism and cultural excellence and democracy, let us not be tribal,” Marsalis added.

Day Two of the program will begin at 6 PM ET on Monday, and it will include the presentation of the first-annual Omni-American Youth Leader Award to U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (NY-15). Like Day One, it will be broadcast live on Zoom, Facebook, and YouTube.

Watch a full recording of Day One of the conference below:

For more information on the conference, including the full speakers lineup, visit: event.omniamerican.org