A civic leader who believes religious diversity is a vital and stimulating element of American democracy is coming to Hollins University as part of the school’s Distinguished Speakers Series.
Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America, the leading interfaith organization in the United States, will present “Building Bridges Across Difference” at Hollins’ Talmadge Recital Hall on Thursday, September 19, at 7 p.m. Admission is free and open to the public.
Patel asserts that building and maintaining a participatory, democratic society involves developing strategies for talking with and listening to people who don’t always share the same perspectives and experiences. He will offer his insights about democracy, pluralism, and faith, and discuss what he believes is a shared responsibility of building bridges across difference.
“We are a stronger country when faith is fully embraced as a source of inspiration and a bridge of cooperation,” Patel states.
Named “one of America’s best leaders” by U.S. News & World Report, Patel has worked with governments, universities, private companies, and civic organizations to make faith a bridge of cooperation rather than a barrier of division. He served on President Obama’s Inaugural Faith Council, has given hundreds of keynote addresses, and has written five books, including We Need to Build: Field Notes for Diverse Democracy. He is also the recipient of the National Conflict Resolution Center’s 2024 National Peacemaker Award and is featured on the Carnegie Corporation of New York’s list of “Great Immigrants, Great Americans” for 2024. He was born in Mumbai, India, and is an Ismaili Muslim of Gujarati Indian heritage.
“I love America not because I am under the illusion that it is perfect, but because it allows me — the child of Muslim immigrants from India — to participate in its progress, to carve a place in its promise, to play a role in its possibility,” Patel says.
Hollins’ Distinguished Speakers Series was established in 2001 when the university received an anonymous gift to support bringing to campus leading national and international experts from a variety of fields. The purpose of the Distinguished Speakers Series is to enlighten students, faculty, and the community at large, whether their interests lie in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, or fine arts.
For more information, contact Sheyonn Baker at (540) 362-6287 or bakersl@hollins.edu.
