A new four-part docuseries that explores the complex relationship between Black Americans and Jewish Americans – forged in shared struggle, tested by division, and representing a uniquely American experience.
Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History airs Tuesdays, February 3-24 at 9 p.m. on WXXI-TV and streaming on the WXXI app.
lack and Jewish Americans began on fundamentally different footing, but by the early 20th century, they were drawn together by entrenched racism and rising antisemitism. These shared experiences led to productive civic partnerships and sparked creative bonds that led to collaborations in music and film that would profoundly shape American popular culture. The relationship between these communities deepened after World War II, when the atrocities of the Holocaust came to light, reinforcing a sense of common struggle as both communities grappled with the devastating consequences of hatred and intolerance. The civil rights era is often described as the “golden age” of the alliance, when Jewish Americans worked closely with Black leaders and organizers to dismantle Jim Crow segregation.
While shared ideals of justice united Black and Jewish people, they were also divided by the realities of race in America. The historic alliance suffered as each group turned inward, prioritizing its own struggles and agendas in an increasingly fragmented social and political landscape. Still, the hope and promise of cross-cultural solidarity endures to this day, amid constant reminders of the persistent threat of violence and injustice in the world. Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History offers a lesson in fulfilling that promise while confronting the challenges of maintaining unity against divisiveness.