The Dallas Morning News said Sunday it named a 91-year-old Holocaust survivor as its Texan of the Year for being a source of hope and inspiration for his message of tolerance, fairness and forgiveness.
Dallas resident Max Glauben, who was born in Poland, speaks often about surviving the Warsaw Ghetto and Nazi concentration camps as Jew during World War II. Glauben, whose parents and brother were killed in the Holocaust, is one of the founders of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum.
"At a time when hate crimes are rising, Max Glauben reminds us how hope can triumph over fear and kindness can overcome hatred when good people speak out," said Dallas Morning News editorial page editor Brendan Miniter.
The museum this year moved into a new building that features a special theater where technology allows visitors to ask the image of Glauben questions.
The newspaper says its other finalists included Simone Biles for her strength as a gymnast and sexual abuse survivor, Botham Jean's family for their "poise, fortitude and honesty" after his fatal shooting by a Dallas police officer; and the school superintendents in Odessa and El Paso for addressing student trauma after mass shootings in those cities.
