When Özlem Cekic became the first Muslim MP in the Danish Parliament, her email inbox was hit with a deluge of hate mail and threats, and her gut reaction was to delete every abusive message. But eventually, she decided to take a risk. She started replying and inviting the senders to meet and engage in dialogue over coffee. And with time, understanding, and patience, she began to make a difference, both in the lives of those who hated her before even meeting her, and in her own life. She’s chronicled that experience – and what she’s learned from it – in Overcoming Hate Through Dialogue: Confronting Prejudice, Racism, and Bigotry with Understanding – And Coffee. Eric Martin, author of Your Leadership Moment: Democratizing Leadership in the Age of Authoritarianism, joins her to talk about it; coffee is optional.
