Michelle Shephard
Journalist
2022
Michelle Shephard is an award-winning journalist, author and filmmaker who has covered issues of terrorism and civil rights since the 9/11 attacks. During her two decades at the Toronto Star, she reported from more than 20 countries, including Somalia, Yemen, Syria and Pakistan. Among her films, Shephard directed and produced the Emmy-nominated documentary Guantanamo’s Child, and her books include Decade of Fear: Reporting from Terrorism’s Grey Zone. Shephard now works as an independent filmmaker and journalist and podcast host and producer. Her most recent podcast series include Brainwashed, about the CIA’s mind control experiments and White Hot Hate, which explored the rise of the Neo-Nazi accelerationist movement.
The effort to eradicate hate requires the active participation of every component of our society, to include governments, the private sector, communities of faith and indeed every aspect of civil society. There is no more urgent task in front of us. The organizers of the Eradicate Hate Global Summit are doing the United States and the world an enormous service by tackling hatred and extremism with a focus on honest dialogue and conversation, genuine learning and practical solutions. This will not happen overnight, but the Pittsburgh community’s leadership in this effort is genuinely inspiring and motivating.