Eboo Patel
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President, Interfaith America. Follow @InterfaithUSA. Author, ‘We Need To Build’. Podcast: bit.ly/3Eh7Hwr. media@interfaithamerica.org
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Articles by Eboo Patel
Editorial: The History We Choose to Remember
(Adobe Stock / Topuria Design) The Prophet Muhammad had a Jewish wife. Her name was Safiyyah bint Huyayy, and her story opens a fascinating window into a largely forgotten chapter of Jewish history. It also raises questions about how Jews and Muslims understand their shared past — and what that history might teach us about their troubled relationship today.
DEI Demeans Minorities
Bates College, (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images.) Will you be in London on Thursday, October 8 at 6pm? Join Yascha Mounk and Dan Williams for this live recording of The Good Fight podcast at the Halycon International School as they discuss whether AI will doom us all! Get your FREE ticket here! Please note that you must reserve a ticket in order to attend. Please email events@persuasion.communityif you have any questions. The debate about DEI has shifted.
DEI Demeans Minorities
Discover more from Persuasion The community for those who believe that a free society is worth fighting for. Over 129,000 subscribers Already have an account? Sign in What three recent essays tell us about race relations in America. Bates College, (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images.) Will you be in London on Thursday, October 8 at 6pm?
DEI 1.0 was crazy. A viral Atlantic essay shows nonprofits a way out.
The cultural momentum on DEI has shifted, including AOC calling Woke 1.0 "crazy," creating an opening the nonprofit sector shouldn't waste. Honest reckoning requires leaders to ask whether their own DEI programs made unreasonable demands on staff, treated identity as a job qualification, or distracted from the mission.
What I Learned on the Open Road
Commitment ceremony, 1998. (Hector Mata/AFP.) I attended my first gay wedding in 1995. It was not on purpose. I was on a summer road trip, supported by a $500 travel grant from the University of Illinois, exploring identity-based intentional communities. Because I had so little money, the only groups I could study were the ones who offered free lodging, which generally meant pitching a tent on their lawn. The nice people at the Idyll Dandy Acres community outside of Nashville were happy to oblige.
We Must Save Sociology From Itself
The sociology section of a bookshop, April 25, 2026. (Photo by Nicolas Guyonnet / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images.) It was in sociology classes that I first heard the phrase “white supremacy.” Quite naturally, the first thing I thought of was people in hoods.
We Must Save Sociology From Itself
The sociology section of a bookshop, April 25, 2026. (Photo by Nicolas Guyonnet / Hans Lucas / AFP via Getty Images.) It was in sociology classes that I first heard the phrase “white supremacy.” Quite naturally, the first thing I thought of was people in hoods.
A Pluralist Manifesto Original
Will you be in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday July 15? I will be interviewing Francis Fukuyama about how liberalism should respond to the postliberal threat. Find out more and get your free ticket here! —Yascha An American flag is waved on July 1, 2026 in Washington, DC.
A Potluck, Not a Melting Pot
By Spencer Cox and Eboo Patel America is often described as a melting pot—in culinary terms, a communal meal in which every dish is poured into a giant kettle and stirred into an unappetizing uniformity. But there is another way to imagine democratic life, the way in which we live together. Instead of uniformity, what we get is a potluck. The metaphor matters. If we imagine America as a giant crockpot in which differences cook down, we build one kind of country.
Why the World Cup Is a Master Class in Religious Pluralism
Keep up with everything happening in The Commons by signing up for our monthly newsletter. A new HBO documentary series on the U.S. men’s national soccer team, currently competing in the World Cup, includes a particularly poignant scene: It’s Ramadan, and midfielder Yunus Musah is awake at 4:30 a.m. saying the Fajr prayer.
Long Live Obama-ism!
The Grand Opening Ceremony of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, Illinois, on Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images.) I recently got the chance to walk through the exhibits of the Barack Obama Presidential Center before its opening on Thursday.
Dear Students: Cultivate Your Humanity!
Sydney making the omelet. (Screenshot: FX/Hulu.) This essay is based on a commencement address given at Denison University on May 16, 2026. Let’s travel through time. Put on your bell bottoms, stare dreamily at that lava lamp, turn up the volume on Paul Simon’s “Mrs. Robinson,” and imagine you are graduating from college in the mid-1960s.
Build, Don’t Fight: Advice for Graduates Pursuing Nonprofit Careers
Dek: Amid uncertainty and division, here are five lessons for those entering the sector — and for those already in it. Keep up with everything happening in The Commons by signing up for our monthly newsletter. It’s college graduation season, a time of celebration and transition. This year’s graduates are surely wondering how they will make their way, leave their mark, and find their fortune amid global conflicts, political upheaval, and technological transformation.
The Alice Waters theory of social change
David Sifry, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, Alice Waters grew up in post-World War II America, the first era of mass market processed foods. Meals for her generation typically came from the freezer or out of a can. When Alice went to France in 1965, she experienced a whole new food culture. People went to the market regularly to find the freshest food available. They were happy to pay extra for the good bread.
Forum on Leadership 2026: Awarding of the George W. Bush Institute Citation
Watch The George W. Bush Presidential Center presented the 2026 George W. Bush Institute Citation to Eboo Patel, founder and president of Interfaith America. The Citation recognizes Mr. Patel’s dedication to the idea that cooperation across our differences is key for all Americans to thrive. Eboo Patel is a civic leader, speaker, and author advancing the notion that diversity is a treasure and cooperation across our difference is the key for everybody to thrive.
Braiding together our sacred union, from Roger Williams to Minneapolis
This commentary was originally delivered at Washington National Cathedral on Feb. 24, 2026. (RNS) — There was a snowstorm the night Roger Williams fled Salem. He was sick and alone, a Puritan minister cast out by the Puritan theocracy for his diverse opinions. He stuffed his pockets full of corn paste and headed south into the forest. The snow drifts were piled above his head. Rough men with murderous eyes were close behind. He survived because native tribes sheltered him.
Are You Addicted to “Philanthrobabble?”
SHARE THIS STORY: March 5, 2026 | Read Time: 1 minute Are words like “build civic capacity” and “anti-displacement strategy” really the best way for nonprofits and grant makers to convey their hopeful messages? This short video examines how the sector became so addicted to jargon and why a return to plain language can create clarity and build trust. The Commons is financed in part with philanthropic support from the Arthur M.
As War Rages in Iran, Nonprofits Must Fight Islamophobia in the U.S.
“This is going to suck for Muslims here,” my 15-year-old son said morosely as we watched the news that the United States and Israel had launched a military attack on Iran. He’s right. Every time the United States is at war with an enemy associated with Islam, it leads to a in this country. The FBI statistics include hate crime incidences such as arson attacks on mosques. But Islamophobia also rears its ugly head in casual comments in high school hallways.
Nonprofits Can Turn Outrage Over ICE Into a ‘Big Tent of Decency’
Those who know their history will remember that this twisted statement from a U.S. army major in 1968 played an important role in turning public opinion against the Vietnam War. The reaction for many people was something along the lines of, “I thought we were fighting for freedom, but what you just said sounds insane.” About as insane as believing that ICE agents in Minneapolis killed Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti because they were terrorists.
Why Your Gen Z Workers Need Tough Love
This is one of two essays that argue from opposing perspectives about how to mentor and manage young workers. The second, by veteran nonprofit leader Greg Berman, promotes a model of leadership based on compassion and trust.
Colleges Have Forgotten How to Argue
“Conversation is the new counterculture,” says my friend Manu Meel, co-founder of BridgeUSA, one of several civil-discourse organizations with healthy budgets and impressive campus footprints that have sprung up in recent years. Others include the Constructive Dialogue Institute, the Institute for Citizens and Scholars, Heterodox Academy, and my own Interfaith America.
What Jill Lepore Knows About Harvard
The Harvard campus this summer.
Introducing Skills to Bridge Differences for Parents and Teens
Eight Keys to Bridging Our Differences There are many misconceptions about bridging differences, so we consulted with researchers and practitioners to clarify what it is—and…
The Church Americans Often Mock Could Teach Us to Heal
In the aftermath of tragedy, Americans are used to hearing politicians offer words of comfort and promises to find answers. But Utah Gov. Spencer Cox’s response to Charlie Kirk’s assassination last month felt very different. He called Kirk’s killing a “watershed” in American history, where we can choose to escalate or make the choice to embrace a common life together.
What We Lose When We Can't Talk to Each Other
Polarization is at an all-time high. It can feel daunting—perhaps even misguided—to engage in meaningful dialogue with those holding starkly different views. What does it mean to champion pluralism in such a moment? Persuasion’s new series on the future of pluralism, generously supported by the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, features essays and podcast interviews that make the case for civic dialogue and highlight inspiring examples of it in practice. You can find past installments here.
Charlie Kirk’s Murder and the Need for Diversity in Student Affairs
Student-affairs staff do important work for colleges. They run mental-health programs, advise campus groups, train student leaders, bring speakers to campus, organize freshman orientation, and staff residence halls. At institutions which principally reward professors for research, student-affairs staff are the primary shapers of campus culture. I spend a lot of time with student-affairs administrators, and I find the vast majority are conscientious professionals.
Yes, We’re in a Crisis. No, You Shouldn’t Change Your Nonprofit’s Priorities.
The word “crisis” is sometimes overused, but I can’t think of a better way to describe what the nonprofit world is facing right now. Federal funding cuts are decimating institutions ranging from public media to health service to refugee resettlement. Every form of diversity work is under scrutiny, and far too many nonprofits are barely hanging on. This is a bad, bad time for our sector. So what’s the most productive way for nonprofits to respond to this crisis?
The Power of Doing Good When So Much Is Bad. Try It.
This summer, I had the opportunity to keynote the Points of Light annual conference in New Orleans, where a consistent message emerged from the stage: Don’t let the craziness emanating from the halls of power stop you from doing the good that you can do. Points of Light is an organization named for a phrase made famous by President George H.W. Bush, who described America’s volunteer groups and civic organizations as “a thousand points of light,” spread like stars across the nation.
The Power of Doing Good When So Much Is Bad. Try It.
This summer, I had the opportunity to keynote the Points of Light annual conference in New Orleans, where a consistent message emerged from the stage: Don’t let the craziness emanating from the halls of power stop you from doing the good that you can do. Points of Light is an organization named for a phrase made famous by President George H.W. Bush, who described America’s volunteer groups and civic organizations as “a thousand points of light,” spread like stars across the nation.
Fourth Of July: The Great American Picnic Of Pluralism
This Fourth of July, under patriotic bunting and over smoky grills, hot dogs will sizzle. But so will bulgogi, elote, and lamb marinated in turmeric and lime. Food is the centerpiece of the Independence Day picnic, bringing to life the metaphor of a potluck nation where all cultures bring their best dish, and the celebration is richer because of the deliciousness of diversity. While the founders of the 1776 generation got plenty wrong, they got one thing spectacularly right.
‘Top Chef’s’ Recipe for Making DEI More Palatable
I almost cried after reading a recent article about how universities are canceling bridge programs that help first-generation students prepare for college. The story noted that schools are afraid such programs might put them in the crosshairs of the authoritarians in Washington, D.C., intent on destroying anything associated with diversity. I’ve taught in bridge programs and have been inspired by the students who are eager to learn and give back to their communities.
A Pedagogy of the Empowered
This piece is part of a series, generously made possible by the support of the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, on pluralism and dialogue in education. In 2020, Steven Wilson, former education adviser to the governor of Massachusetts, was condemned as racist and fired from his job for writing an essay on the educational philosophy underlying the network of charter schools he founded.
Harvard, Public Trust, and a Warning for the Nonprofit Sector
A few weeks ago, Steve Kerr, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, made an important political statement by wearing a Harvard T-shirt to a postgame news conference. When asked if the shirt was about the Trump administration’s threats against the university, Kerr lauded Harvard for “standing up to the bully” and spoke about his support for both academic freedom and the independence of civic institutions.
The Pluralism Pope: A Light for Our Dark Divisions
While I’m a Muslim, I am fond of citing Catholic philosophers and theologians on pluralism. I quote Father John Courtney Murray, a mid-20th-century Jesuit leader, and his definition of pluralist civilization as a society where people of diverse identities and divergent ideologies live and talk together. I often talk about Father Ted Hesburgh’s description of the University of Notre Dame, the institution he led for 35 years, as a “lighthouse and a crossroads,” a model for all campuses.
Cory Booker Set a High Bar for Toughness. The Nonprofit World Should Aim to Reach It.
Last week, New Jersey Senator Cory Booker showed what toughness looks like in an era when fighting for a just society is a nonstop endurance test. Booker, one of only 14 African Americans to ever serve in the Senate, spoke against Trump administration policies for more than 25 hours straight without a bathroom break, surpassing Senator Strom Thurmond’s previous record — in that case for a speech opposing civil rights legislation.
Teach Pluralism, Not Antiracism
The following is adapted from “An Alternative to Antiracism” published in the recent Diversity issue of SAPIR, a journal of ideas for a thriving Jewish future.
An Alternative to Antiracism | SAPIR Journal
In the fall of 2010, I began opening my public talks with the sentence “Are we entering a new era of American racism?” I would start by laying out the historical facts, from the genocide of Native Americans to the horrors of slavery and the ugliness of antisemitism, and said that there were echoes of that racist past in the Islamophobia we were seeing in the present day.
An Alternative to Antiracism | SAPIR Journal
In the fall of 2010, I began opening my public talks with the sentence “Are we entering a new era of American racism?” I would start by laying out the historical facts, from the genocide of Native Americans to the horrors of slavery and the ugliness of antisemitism, and said that there were echoes of that racist past in the Islamophobia we were seeing in the present day.
In halting Trump ban on DEI, judge sides with patriotism for America | Opinion Original
The debate over diversity, equity and inclusion is giving me whiplash. On Jan. 21, a day after his inauguration, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling on all federal agencies to “to combat illegal private-sector DEI preferences, mandates, policies, programs, and activities.” Then the White House directed federal agencies to put on leave employees who were in DEI roles, including those who had simply attended a diversity training. On Feb.
How Nonprofits Can Build a New ‘Progressive Era’ in a Second Gilded Age
Many prognosticators describe our current era as a “Second Gilded Age,” a term I’ve come to embrace myself. It captures the reality of the moment: The deep income inequality. The coziness between the super rich and the political elite. Even Donald Trump’s desire to model his presidency after William McKinley’s. But here’s a happier thought: The first Gilded Age gave way to the Progressive Era.
His Ideas Inspired My Nonprofit. And They Hold Answers for a Populism That Feeds Autocracy
Earlier this month, I was on my way to make a presentation at Brown University when I received the call from my wife. The Aga Khan IV, whose teachings on the significance of pluralism and the centrality of civil society inspired my career and my nonprofit’s work, had died. I had been bracing myself for this news. His Highness Prince Karim al-Hussaini Aga Khan IV was 88 and reportedly in poor health.
Lessons from Bob Dylan and Pete Seeger on the Dangers of Ideological Rigidity
Bob Dylan has always had a fraught relationship with the world of progressive social change. He wrote some of the most penetrating socially conscious songs of the early 1960s — “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” “When the Ship Comes In” — and performed at the March on Washington in the summer of 1963.
Notre Dame football shows how universities can do DEI right | Opinion
Diversity work has two dimensions: achievement for historically marginalized groups, and cooperation across differences. Both are on impressive display in college football. We take diversity wins in college sports for granted After being appointed head coach at Colorado in December 2022, Sanders brought many of his players from Jackson State (one of the historically Black colleges and universities) with him to Boulder, including the aforementioned Hunter.
Diversity work should be a priority for universities. College football shows how. | Opinion Original
Sports fans are all eyes on the College Football Playoff semifinal games as bowl season and the inaugural year of the 12-team playoff system head toward the championship game on Jan. 20. There has been much to marvel at, from remarkable touchdown passes to the pageantry of marching bands. But I’ve found my attention drawn to something else: In an era of high-profile diversity debacles in higher education, college athletics is a model of excellence in diversity work.
Obama as Pluralist-in-Chief Shows the Nonprofit World a Way Forward
Keep up with everything happening in The Commons by signing up for the Chronicle’s Philanthropy Today newsletter or our weekly Commons LinkedIn newsletter. Barack Obama is the most eloquent promoter of pluralism in American history, and its most inspiring embodiment: child of a white mother from Kansas and a Black father from Kenya, raised in both Hawaii and Indonesia, an Ivy Leaguer and a south side of Chicago community organizer.
America is a potluck, not a battlefield where we defeat our fellow citizens | Opinion
The best speech at my wedding was given by my father-in-law.
Did the Nonprofit World’s Identity Obsession Pave the Way for Trump’s Victory?
Like many of you, I’ve been scratching my head about why so many voters of color shifted to Donald Trump in 2024. Consider the case of Reading, Penn., which is 70 percent Latino. In 2020, Trump received 36 percent of the vote there. This year, that number jumped to 54 percent. How does the Democratic Party, which prides itself on embracing diversity, lose so many minority voters to a candidate who brazenly throws insults at them?
Elections, Springsteen, and the American Spirit
God sent us Bruce Springsteen for moments like this. So do yourself a favor, and take a break from despondency and doom loops about democracy dying to watch Road Diary on Hulu — the behind-the-scenes story of Bruce Springsteen’s recent world tour. It will do you good to be reminded that the American spirit is continually renewing and resurrecting, even when it feels like the sun just got extinguished. Yes, of course it matters who occupies the Oval Office.
I’m Rooting for DEI. But Why Are So Many Programs Falling Short?
Imagine this: Violence erupts in the Middle East, and ideologically diverse student groups at universities nationwide exchange views in a civil manner, disagree productively, learn from each other, and cooperate on matters ranging from biology labs to service projects. When researchers evaluate the diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at those universities, they find that they have increased feelings of belonging, decreased prejudice, and improved relations between groups.
How I Learned To Stop Criticizing Everything
This article is part of an ongoing Persuasion series on the future of universities. Universities are in crisis—losing public support, shaken by internal divisions, facing angry donors and alumni, and increasingly straying from their core mission of intellectual curiosity and open inquiry.
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