James Maslow
Big Time Rush singer and actor James Maslow has released a new single titled On My Mind. The music video was filmed in Israel and features two Israeli artists. Maslow wrote the song to promote open discussion and take a stand against antisemitism, focusing on unity and understanding rather than politics. The release follows a wave on online hate after social media users labeled him a “Zionist.” In an interview with Chris Cuomo, Maslow said, “Standing up for Judaism, standing up against antisemitism, and standing up for Israel shouldn’t be something that’s so controversial and so politicized.”
Maslow has been outspoken against antisemitism on his social media since the Hamas attack in 2023, consistently urging his followers to reject hate and speak up for tolerance. In a recent conversation with a reporter, he spoke about meeting with Jewish students at George Washington University: “The students all gave me their own version of being afraid. Being scared to wear a chai, being scared to wear a Star of David, being scared to speak Hebrew, which is absolutely unacceptable.” He described On My Mind as a way to turn negativity into something positive, using music to “start meaningful conversations and encourage solidarity.”
Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, Community
The Ku Klux Klan — one of America’s oldest and most notorious hate groups — has long targeted Jewish, Black, immigrant, and LGBTQ+ communities through fear and intimidation.
Recently, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, showed how communities can stand up to hate. During the town’s Halloween parade, residents discovered that cards bearing the name “Women of the Ku Klux Klan” had been slipped into children’s treat bags. Outraged neighbors, quickly organized, filling a room at the town council meeting to ensure the incident was addressed head-on. Resident Shahgana Doyle, who helped rally others to attend, said the community came together in an effort to squash the incident at its root. Borough officials echoed that unity in a joint statement condemning the materials as “in direct opposition to our community’s values.”
John Mellencamp
Rock legend John Mellencamp used his platform to speak out forcefully against antisemitism at the Creative Community for Peace’s ‘Ambassadors of Peace’ gala in Los Angeles. In his speech, Mellencamp said, “I don’t like to call it antisemitism. It’s too polite of a word for what it really is. Hatred is what it really is. But I promise this to the Jewish people: I will remain a staunch ally to you guys as long as I’m on this earth.” He ended by declaring, “and to the Jewish haters… I say f–k you.”
This isn’t Mellencamp’s first time standing up to Jewish hate. At the 2022 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, while honoring his friend Allen Grubman, he told the audience, “Silence is complicity… f—k antisemitism.”
