|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
In recognition of his staunch allyship in the city-level fight against rising Jew-hatred, Providence Mayor Brett Smiley was honored with the Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) Advocacy Award at the 2024 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism in Beverly Hills last week.
“We are going to continue to lead by example in Providence, and I know that my colleague mayors from around the country and North America will do the same,” Smiley said in his acceptance speech — which can be viewed in full HERE — after being introduced by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “It is our obligation to continue to stand up and speak out.”
Smiley recalled his participation in last year’s mayoral summit in Fort Lauderdale, where a detailed municipal action plan against antisemitism was unveiled.
“Mayors like to say we get things done — give us a task, and we’ll get it done,” Smiley noted. “We’re very practical, pragmatic people. And when Mayor [Dean] Trantalis from Fort Lauderdale hosted us last year, I walked away with a ten-point action plan written by CAM on how cities can help to stop the scourge of antisemitism, and I’m proud to say that in Providence, Rhode Island, we’ve done all of them.”
“We adopted the IHRA standard,” he said. “We, like a lot of liberal cities, have a very robust DEI program, but when I got elected two years ago, I sat down with the director and said, ‘Where is antisemitism in our DEI program?’, and it is now part of the training for all new city employees. We train all new police officers in antisemitism. We support our community institutions, and last year, standing on [Richmond] Mayor Levar Stoney’s shoulders and the good work he had done the year before, I was proud to organize the U.S. Conference of Mayors in gathering other mayors from around the country to declare May as Jewish American Heritage Month. 174 mayors signed this year.”
CAM Chief Government Affairs Officer Lisa Katz stated, “Since taking office two years ago, Mayor Smiley has emerged as a trailblazer in the fight against antisemitism, exhibiting proactive and resolute leadership to confront rising hatred. CAM has been proud to collaborate with Mayor Smiley in his efforts to secure and nurture Jewish life in Providence and other cities across the United States, including the promotion of Jewish American Heritage Month this past May. We deeply appreciate his stalwart stand with the Jewish people, particularly in the aftermath of October 7th. This is why we were honored to present him with the CAM Advocacy Award at the 2024 Mayors Summit Against Antisemitism, and we hope this recognition will inspire fellow city leaders to follow in his footsteps.”
Smiley was presented with the CAM Advocacy Award by New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell.
“It is really an honor and a privilege to be amongst my brother and sister mayors from across the United States of America as we stand together to stand against hate in all forms — not picking and choosing we want to stand up and sit down, but understanding that consistency is key,” Cantrell said. “When we stand up and we’re unified, it sends the strongest message possible across this country.”
“We’re here because we recognize that the need to stand up against hate in this country really does start with us in our cities,” she added.
Watch the remarks of Mayor Cantrell and Mayor Smiley HERE:
