Sally Kohn, “The Opposite of Hate”

Community Partners: Jewish Community Relations Council; SOJOURN

As a progressive commentator on Fox News and now CNN, Sally Kohn has made a career out of bridging political differences and learning how to talk respectfully with people whose views she disagrees with. Her viral TED Talk on the need to practice emotional—rather than political—correctness sparked a new way of considering how often we amplify our differences and diminish our connections. Kohn looks at the epidemic of hate all around us and how we can stop it. She talks to leading scientists and researchers and investigates the evolutionary and cultural roots of hate and how incivility can be a gateway to much worse. She introduces us to former terrorists and white supremacists, and even some of her own Twitter trolls, drawing surprising lessons. As Kohn discovers, “The opposite of hate is the beautiful and powerful reality of how we are all fundamentally linked and equal as human beings. The opposite of hate is connection.”