New collaboration seeks to reignite Black-Jewish alliance

The project will involve hosting a series of student and faculty seminars on the history of ‘Black-Jewish solidarity.’

By Dion J. Pierre, The Algemeiner

A new partnership has its sights set on reviving the formidable Black-Jewish alliance, which toppled the Jim Crow laws in the segregated south in the 1960s and prompted a massive expansion of social and civil rights in the US.

The Academic Engagement Network (AEN), a nonprofit which promotes academic freedom and free speech, is partnering with South Carolina State University and Voorhees University — two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) — on a project that will involve hosting a series of student and faculty seminars on the history of “Black-Jewish solidarity,” from the creation of Rosenwald Schools for Black children following the abolition of slavery to the advent of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

“As Jewish scholars fled Nazi Germany, they unfortunately found many barriers in the US academy,” AEN executive director Miriam Elman said in a press release sent out Thursday.

“But an exception were HBCUs that provided visas and employment to 50 German Jewish scholars, saving their lives. Black and Jewish communities in the US forged a unique bond as a result of these experiences.”

Elman added, “This initiative will drawn on this inspiring history by empowering HBCUs to help combat contemporary antisemitism and disturbing efforts by extremists to create divisions between Black and Jewish communities.”

Funded by an AEN Antisemitism Education Initiative grant — a project aimed at promoting awareness of diversity in the Jewish community and campus antisemitism — the seminars will also cover the history of antisemitism, Zionism and Jewish self-determination, and the ways in which Jews and Blacks can come together to oppose contemporary antisemitism and anti-Black racism in an age of rising hate.

“This grant may mark a new beginning, but the bond between our communities is not new — it is steeped in history,” Voorhees University president Ronnie Hopkins proclaimed in Thursday’s press release.

“Our students are poised to become the future leaders of various fields, including industry, business, science, and law. It is imperative they are equipped to combat all forms of hatred, including antisemitism.”

The seminar’s involvement of two professors from University of South Carolina, where the program will be administered is special, AEN said on Thursday, noting that the school is home to the only Anne Frank Center in the US, of which there are only three in the world.

“At the heart of this approach is the emphasis on creating inclusive and diverse spaces,” University of South Carolina professor Devin Randolph said.

“I see this endeavor as something truly invaluable, drawing from a legacy of resilience and aspirations for a future marked by understanding and progress.”

On Friday, Rabbi Meir Muller, another University of South Carolina professor, told The Algemeiner in a statement that HBCUs are best suited for leading the fight against antisemitism that exploded at college campuses across the US after Hamas’ Oct. 7 massacre across southern Israel — a problem, he averred, which is not present on HBCU campuses.

“This initiative seeks to empower HBCU faculty and students to foster a nuanced understanding of an advocacy for pro-Jewish and Israeli perspectives,” Muller explained. “Our goal is to spread this message of solidarity and mutual respect to all HBCUs and throughout the country, reaching all communities and peoples.”

AEN’s partnership with HBCUs comes amid a concerted effort to foster good feelings between the Black and Jewish communities, which have at times drifted apart due to vehement disagreements over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and racial privilege, as well as the rise of antisemitic Black nationalist movements.

Last July, this project was boosted by the relaunching of the Black-Jewish Congressional Caucus, a bipartisan group of elected officials.

“Recent surveys and studies show a disturbing rate of antisemitic attitudes among Black Americans, especially young people, and HBCUs have a critically important role to play as allies with the Jewish community to counter antisemitism,” Elman told The Algemeiner on Friday.

“This groundbreaking initiative could not have gotten off the ground without the firm commitment from senior leaders at Voorhees University and South Carolina State. AEN is grateful for their support in piloting the project and looks forward to seeing the initiative expand to more HBCUs in South Carolina and beyond.”