Broadcast at halftime of the Super Bowl LVIII final, Sunday February 11, a clip against anti-Semitism placed Clarence Benjamin Jones, author of part of the famous “I have a dream” speech, in the spotlight. , declaimed by Martin Luther King during the March on Washington in 1963. The former lawyer, activist committed to equal civil rights, is as such an icon in the United States.
Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots team, created the Foundation for Combating Anti-Semitism (FCAS) which released the clip.
The billionaire himself paid the 7 million euros that 30 seconds of advertising time cost during half-time of one of the most watched sporting events in the world.
This spot, which is part of the
“#StandUpToJewishHate”
campaign , aims to establish a link between anti-Semitism and other forms of racism.
Relations between peoples
As the war between Israel and Hamas continues to divide the American population, Clarence Benjamin Jones works to re-cement the nation.
“African-Americans have an obligation not to remain silent in the face of obvious anti-Semitism, and Jews have an obligation not to remain silent in the face of blatant racism against African-Americans
,” he urges. -he in the columns of the
Jewish News of Northern California.
And to continue
:
“Silence in the presence of hatred makes you complicit in this hatred”
.
The author of seven paragraphs of “I have a dream” also summons his memories of struggle to illuminate the present.
He particularly remembers a demonstration with Martin Luther King for civil rights in which many white people participated.
Clarence Benjamin Jones questions them: “Why are you here to protest?”
And to hear 90% of the white people present respond:
“I am here with you because my grandparents died in a holocaust.
"That's what they would like me to do, so I'm here to honor their memory."
He then tells this story to Martin Luther King, who becomes aware of the universality of his cause.
It resonates particularly among Americans of Jewish faith.
The pastor will also develop an extraordinary relationship with Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel.
Looking back, Clarence Benjamin Jones believes they could never have successfully passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or even the Voting Rights Act of 1965 without the support of the Jewish community.
Also read: 60 years of “I have a dream”: “Martin Luther King would not be a statue remover”
60 years after Martin Luther King's "dream", Robert Kraft and Clarence Benjamin Jones are determined to take up the torch:
"What we are going to do after this ad is build bridges to obtain more love, to master the hatred that exists and allow people from all walks of life, of all colors, of all sexes, of all religions, to look at the positive things in life.