by Jason Mathis

Downtown hosts “Anne Frank: A History for Today” through May 11 at the Salt Lake City Main Library. I’m looking forward to taking my family to see this exhibit for many reasons. As the most well-known victim of the holocaust, Anne Frank’s journal and moving story personalize a horrific crime against millions of people, and have touched millions more.

This historical and educational experience catalogs the decisions of political leaders and ordinary people that facilitated Nazi atrocities. It is a reminder that evil exists and that it often finds its most heinous outlet in targeting a single group to persecute.

What are the antidotes to this kind of evil? A partial list might include compassion, inclusion, and an appreciation of diversity. Our mission at the Downtown Alliance is building a dynamic and diverse community. We are honored to host this great national exhibit within the boundaries of the Central Business District. We know it will have an impact on the lives of the thousands of people who will see it and we recognize its relevance to our mission of promoting a diverse community.

Downtown is many things – economic engine, cultural hub, entertainment center, employment base and residential neighborhood.  But perhaps the greatest role that downtown can play is bringing people together from across our state and region, through common experience in a shared physical place. People of different ethnicities, faiths, nationalities, political parties, orientations and economic circumstances are all welcomed in the urban center of Utah’s capital city. Downtown belongs to everyone.

The Downtown Alliance applauds the Jewish Federation of Utah, the Inclusion Center for Community and Justice at Westminster College, Salt Lake City Mayor's Office, Salt Lake City Public Library and Utah Department of Community and Culture for sharing this exhibit with Utah and bringing it downtown.