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By Leo Terrell
(August 11, 2025 / Fox News) When President Donald Trump asked me to lead the Department of Justice Task Force to Combat Antisemitism, I answered without hesitation: "Thank you, Mr. President."
Why such gratitude? This mission is deeply personal. I have been a civil rights attorney for 35 years. Jewish friends gave me my start as a civil rights attorney by allowing me to use office space free-of-charge when I was just getting off my feet. I am a child of the 1960s who understands the historic bond between Black and Jewish Americans. I remember the Jewish activists who stood shoulder to shoulder with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and I honor the memory of Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner, two young Jewish men murdered in Mississippi in 1964 for defending the rights of African Americans.
That history shows how deeply connected the Black and Jewish struggles for equality have been. Standing up against hate in one form means standing up against hate in all forms. The fight against antisemitism is not just a Jewish issue but also an American issue. I am proud to be a Black man leading this Task Force.
For four years, the previous administration largely ignored the rise of antisemitism across the country, leaving Jewish Americans exposed to growing danger. Trump, in contrast, has made combating antisemitism a top national priority.
His administration is confronting its most visible breeding grounds: American universities. At too many universities, antisemitism is not only tolerated but, in some cases, encouraged and protected.
The task force has identified institutions, including Harvard, Columbia, UCLA, and Northwestern, that enable antisemitic conduct. Federal funding freezes worth billions of dollars have forced these schools to acknowledge wrongdoing and adopt reforms immediately. Federal funding is a privilege, not a right. No one would object if the federal government withheld funds from universities that enable discrimination against Black students. The same principle must apply when Jewish students are targeted. Jewish students deserve to attend school without fear of harassment, intimidation or violence.
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