‘Black and Jewish America’ compiles an illuminating history of intersection

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As a film and history buff, I was really disturbed to read about how some people within the Trump administration took down an exhibit about slavery at President’s House in Philadelphia – the place where George Washington actually lived with enslaved people. It felt like a deliberate attempt to cater to certain political views and rewrite history, painting a ridiculously sanitized picture of Washington where the worst thing he ever did was, well, the cherry tree story. It’s deeply concerning when facts are manipulated to fit a preferred narrative.

History is complicated – full of different viewpoints and unanswered questions – but understanding it is crucial to avoiding past mistakes. PBS, despite recent funding cuts, remains a key source for historical programming, and is truly unique in its dedication to the subject (unlike the History Channel, which focuses on other content). Their new four-part series, “Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History,” hosted by Henry Louis Gates Jr., begins airing Tuesday, coinciding with the start of Black History Month.

Henry Louis Gates Jr., known to many as “Skip,” is a Harvard professor, historian, and popular media personality. He’s the host of the PBS series “Finding Your Roots” and has created documentaries like “Africa’s Great Civilizations” and “Great Migrations.” He’s even appeared in shows like HBO’s “Watchmen” and “The Simpsons.” Gates is skilled at explaining complex and sensitive topics – particularly racial history – in a calm and balanced way, ensuring viewers remain engaged with the subject matter, not frustrated with the presenter. While the history itself might be upsetting, his approach keeps things accessible and prevents viewers from becoming alienated.

He argues that antisemitism and anti-Black racism are deeply ingrained in Western culture, constantly flowing beneath the surface. He aims to examine how these two forms of prejudice connect and overlap. While other groups, like Italian and Irish immigrants, have also faced discrimination in the past and present, white supremacy – which remains a powerful force, as evidenced by current events – affects all people of color. However, Jewish and Black communities share a unique history of being both ridiculed and feared, blamed and ostracized, envied and copied, leading to a complex relationship of both alliance and conflict.

Gates has crafted a compelling and thought-provoking account of global relationships, one that is both uplifting and disheartening. While he occasionally veers slightly from his central topic, his narrative skillfully covers a significant period of history, including the impactful Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Although he presents a fluctuating picture of progress and setbacks, he maintains an overall optimistic tone, beginning with a Seder and ending with a conversation with students. His belief that universal safety is paramount, while admirable, could suggest a pessimistic outlook, but his approach as an educator feels encouraging and hopeful.

The Seder starts with a rendition of “Go Down Moses (Let My People Go)” and brings together a diverse group of Jewish individuals – all notable enough to have their own Wikipedia pages – for a roundtable discussion. Participants include David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker; author Jamaica Kincaid; journalist Esther Fein; Rabbi Shais Rishon; Angela Buchdahl, the first East Asian American rabbi; and Michael Twitty, a culinary historian who prepares a special meal featuring dishes like kosher salt collard greens, West African brisket, and a potato kugel spiced with Creole flavors.

Henry Louis Gates Jr. points out that while both Jewish and Black Americans have experienced discrimination, their paths to America were very different. Jewish people often fled persecution and long-held prejudices from Europe, while Black people were forcibly brought here through slavery. Although Jewish immigration largely occurred in the late 1800s and early 1900s, escaping persecution in places like Russia and Germany, the U.S. Constitution offered them legal protections. This wasn’t the case for African descendants who were already here, as they were enslaved and lacked rights. Even after gaining freedom, laws were created to continue to restrict Black Americans.

Historian Gates observes a shared history between immigrants, Jewish Americans of the 20th century, and Black Americans, all stemming from experiences with oppression. Jewish publications notably used the term “pogrom” to describe the violence faced by Black people in the South, and Jewish individuals, often raised with a strong sense of social justice, were heavily involved in the Civil Rights Movement. However, this alliance shifted over time. While Martin Luther King Jr. emphasized a strong connection and collaboration between the Jewish and Black communities, later activists like Stokely Carmichael favored a path of independence and self-reliance, even advocating for separation.

Many of the stories in this collection highlight the friendships between Black and Jewish individuals. For example, W.E.B. Du Bois and Joel Spingarn worked together on the NAACP’s board, and Du Bois dedicated his autobiography to Spingarn. Booker T. Washington, founder of Tuskegee Institute, collaborated with Sears president Julius Rosenwald, who funded the construction of over 5,000 schools for Black students across the country – including Maya Angelou and John Lewis among its alumni. We also learn about Rabbi Abraham Heschel of Chicago, who, at Martin Luther King Jr.’s invitation, brought fifteen other white rabbis to Selma, Alabama in 1964. Their subsequent arrest garnered significant media attention and helped create political change.

The world of music reveals fascinating connections. Louis Armstrong grew up closely connected to a Jewish family, even wearing a Star of David, and later worked with his manager, Joe Glaser. We learn about Billie Holiday’s powerful song “Strange Fruit,” penned by Abel Meeropol (as Lewis Allan), recorded by Milt Gabler, and frequently performed at Cafe Society, a pioneering integrated nightclub in New York. We also hear the story of Paul Robeson, who bravely sang in Yiddish during a concert in Moscow to support Itzik Feffer, a Jewish poet imprisoned and ultimately killed by the Soviet regime.

This book explores American social and political history through two connected narratives spanning the nation’s entire existence. It’s filled with historical events and details, including the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan after World War I (reaching six million members), the 1936 Berlin Olympics and Jesse Owens’s victory alongside the U.S. team’s controversial decision to remove two Jewish athletes, the origins of Nazi racism in American segregation laws, and the Holocaust. The book also examines how wars in the Middle East have created instability at home, and acknowledges that Jewish and Black communities may have differing perspectives on certain issues.

Even though this is a brief overview – covering a lot of ground in just four hours – it’s thoughtful and avoids oversimplification. It will necessarily skim over some topics, as entire books have been written about even the smallest points discussed here. (We encourage you to explore those resources!) This course presents multiple perspectives, so there will likely be something for everyone to debate. It’s important to note that both Jewish and Black communities are incredibly diverse, and it’s a simplification to treat them as single entities – even within each group, there’s disagreement about identity and belonging.

Regardless of any disagreements, the world often reacts in predictable ways. Bill Gates points out a disturbing pattern: those who harbor hatred towards Jewish people also tend to harbor hatred towards Black people, because both groups become targets during times of crisis.

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2026-02-03 22:31