New series traces Black and Jewish Americans’ historic relationship
Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History is a new four-part series that traces the historic relationship between two communities, representing a uniquely American experience. From executive producer, host and writer Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr., the series premieres Tuesday, February 3, at 9pm on ThinkTV16 and the PBS app. Get an inside look: https://video.thinktv.org/video/inside-look-smol79/.
Drawn together by entrenched racism and rising antisemitism in the early 20th century, Black and Jewish Americans share a rich, complex history. The two communities forged civic and cultural bonds in the face of hatred, from the atrocities of the Holocaust to the injustices of the Civil Rights Era. These shared experiences also led to productive collaborations in music and film, resulting in strong influences on American popular culture.
“This is a deeply personal subject for me,”Gates said in the series press release. “It’s connected to my own coming of age during the heroic days of the civil rights struggle and is an urgent response to the violent forces I’ve seen reawakened in our society over the last decade.”
Black and Jewish America explores both the challenges and enduring promise of the alliance. The series shares historical background as well as current conversations. Throughout the four episodes, Gates sits down and speaks with dozens of scholars, activists, religious leaders and writers to discuss how we can fulfill that promise of unity today.
“By tracing the long arc of Black and Jewish history in America, I hope we can see each other more clearly, more honestly, and find hope in our mutual stories of survival, resilience, and solidarity,” Gates said. “But this series is not only about the past. It is about us—and how, together, we can prevail over the forces of hatred that seek to divide us.”
The lessons, stories and conversations featured in Black and Jewish America offer hope for cross-cultural solidarity, amid threats of division in our world. Notable participants include Billy Crystal, Tony Kushner, Anna Deavere Smith, Al Sharpton, David Remnick, the children of noted civil rights figures Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Rabbi Abraham Joshua, Rabbi Israel Dresner, and more.
Learn more about each episode below:
Episode 1 “Let My People Go”
Premieres Tuesday, February 3, at 9pm on ThinkTV16
Explore the intersecting and diverging fates of the Black and Jewish communities up to the 1920s. Trials of exile, faith, migration and solidarity shape their joint story.
Episode 2 “Strange Fruit”
Premieres Tuesday, February 10, at 9pm on ThinkTV16
Discover how Black and Jewish communities collaborated in music, film and fighting fascism from the 1920s to 1950s, navigating divides while shaping culture and confronting injustice.
Episode 3 “The Grand Alliance”
Premieres Tuesday, February 17, at 9pm on ThinkTV16
Trace the 1960s “Grand Alliance” as Black and Jewish communities fought for civil rights, with activism, collaboration and tension testing their solidarity.
Episode 4 “Crossroads”
Premieres Tuesday, February 17, at 10pm on ThinkTV16
Examine the shifting Black and Jewish relationship from the 1970s onward, including political gains, global tensions, rising hate and the enduring lessons of solidarity.
Explore more series from Henry Louis Gates, Jr. that trace Black history in America:
Great Migrations: A People on the Move (2025)
Black migration has had a transformative impact on American culture and society, from the waves of Black Americans to the North—and back South—over the last century to the growing number of immigrants from Africa and the Caribbean today. Great Migrations shows how movement is a defining feature of the Black experience. Watch it now with ThinkTV Passport: https://video.thinktv.org/show/great-migrations-a-people-on-the-move/.
GOSPEL (2024)
From the blues to hip hop, African Americans have been the driving force of sonic innovation for over a century. Musical styles come and go, but there’s one sound that has been a constant source of strength, courage and wisdom on any given Sunday. GOSPEL digs deep into the origin story of Black spirituality through sermon and song. Watch it now with ThinkTV Passport: https://video.thinktv.org/show/gospel/.
Making Black America: Through the Grapevine (2022)
This series chronicles the vast social networks and organizations created by and for Black people—beyond the reach of the “White gaze.” Professor Gates sits with noted scholars, politicians, cultural leaders and old friends to discuss this world behind the color line and what it looks like today. Watch it now with ThinkTV Passport: https://video.thinktv.org/show/making-black-america/.
The Black Church: This Is Our Story, This Is Our Song (2021)
This intimate four-hour series f explores the 400-year-old story of the black church in America, the changing nature of worship spaces, and the men and women who shepherded them from the pulpit, the choir loft, and church pews. Watch it now with ThinkTV Passport: https://video.thinktv.org/show/black-church/.
