At this exclusive field trip event, your students will hear a panel specifically designed to help them better navigate conflict and difficult conversations in their daily lives. Using the lessons of the Holocaust, a social impact expert, former neo-Nazi, and daughter of Holocaust survivors will demonstrate the dangers of hatred and the power of conversation. 

As Darly Davis says, “The greatest weapon we have to combat antisemitism, racism, any kind of discrimination, is the least expensive, the most effective and the most underused. And it’s free! It’s conversation.”

Learning Objectives:

This panel will show your students how to prevent the kind of radicalization that led to the Holocaust, cultivate empathy and understanding to prevent dehumanization of the “other,” and promote reconciliation on a personal and community level.

Bring your students to this important event on Wednesday, September 11th, at 9:30am in Samford University’s Wright Center to hear musician and activist Daryl Davis; Tamara Meyer, the daughter of Holocaust Survivors; and Arno Michaelis, a former neo-Nazi white supremacist, as they discuss the Power of Conversation.

Specially tailored for educators and students, this event is not open to the public. Need-based assistance is available for transportation costs and substitute teacher reimbursement. Attendance is required in order to receive reimbursement.

Please contact us at info@ahecinfo.org with any questions. We look forward to seeing you there!

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Meet Our Speakers:

Daryl Davis is an American R&B musician and leader of The Daryl Davis Band. He has performed with musicians such as Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Tina Turner. For the past forty years, Daryl has been engaging in active dialogues with members of the KKK, neo-Nazis, and other hateful movements. As a result of their conversations with Daryl, over 200 people have renounced these hateful ideas and relinquished their Klan robes and other memorabilia over to him as a symbolic transition away from their dark past. Through his experiences engaging with members of hate groups, Daryl Davis exemplifies the power of conversation to overcome divisions and foster understanding.

Arno Michaelis is a speaker, filmmaker, and author whose storytelling aims to inspire people to recognize the humanity of every individual. Arno’s work draws from his lived experience as a former Neo-Nazi. He now works as an interventionist at Parents for Peace, helping to lead people away from violent extremist ideologies. Arno has been a professional public speaker since 2010 and has captivated audiences around the world. His keynotes and workshops leverage compassion, curiosity, and kindness to engage all people in building foundations for happiness and success. Uniquely positioned to facilitate healing for people who have been targets of hate, he has dedicated the past 14 years to bringing about a society where all people are valued and included.

Tamara Meyer is an author, educator, publicist, and child of German Jewish Holocaust survivors. She is a child of a Kindertransport passenger, as well as a board member and media liaison for the Kindertransport Association, where she has worked to educate the public about the Kindertransport program. For the past 25 years, she has been speaking about her family legacy and other Holocaust stories to combat hate and build opportunities for dialogue. Tamara has also participated in dialogue groups in both Germany and the U.S. with former members of the National Socialist Movement, the KKK, and other hate groups. Tamara continues to teach, lecture and host panels throughout the U.S. and Europe with the goal of using Holocaust narratives as a vehicle for change and peace building.

Special Thanks to Our Partner:

The Alabama Holocaust Education Center would like to thank our partner the Birmingham Jewish Federation for helping to make this program possible.