“Anne Frank and the Struggle for ‘Never Again.’” Doyle Stevick

Chautauqua Women’s Club Contemporary Issues forum featuring Doyle Stevick, exec. dir., The Anne Frank Center; assoc. prof., Univ. of South Carolina
Doyle Stevick’s encounters with violent extremism at the turn of the century demonstrated that the hateful racism and antisemitism that inspired the Holocaust persist; from that time forward, he dedicated his career to understanding, combatting—and particularly, preventing—the kinds of ideologies that divide and threaten us. Among the many organizations he saw working in the field of Holocaust education around the world, the Anne Frank House stood out for its dynamic approach to cultivating pro-social attitudes and behaviors and undermining prejudice and hate. Using peer education, dialogue, and traveling exhibition, the Anne Frank House has reached millions of people in 89 countries. Through this work, he has become the director of the Anne Frank Center and runs the only Anne Frank House partners site in North America, at the University of South Carolina campus. In this presentation, he explores the challenges and paths forward to move beyond our polarization towards constructive action.