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A film telling the history of Black and Jewish alliances is coming to the Grandin Theatre. The Roanoke Jewish Federation is presenting the screening of SPILL THE HONEY – SHARED LEGACIES with the proceeds benefiting the Harrison Museum of African American Culture. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno has more.
The film “Shared Legacies” shows the importance of the shared history and strengths of the Black-Jewish Alliance. EB Smith Executive Director of the Harrison Museum of African American Culture says the film prompts an interesting conversation.
“It’s been interesting to see as well how the older generation views the relationship in contrast to how the younger folks are viewing the relationship nowadays,”
continued Smith. “I think it’s a worthwhile exercise to kind of bring those folks together and understand not just how things have shifted, but also how we can have a conversation around that and come together around shared values.”
The SPILL THE HONEY works on educational initiatives with activists from across the globe to bring awareness of past and present to defeat the illnesses of antisemitism and racism. The upcoming screening at the Grandin Theatre includes a discussion with Dr. Ben Chavez, Civil Rights Leader and former NAACP Executive Director.
“Dr. Chavez is an African-American activist, author, journalist,” said Smith. “He was an early coordinator with the SCLC and assisted Martin Luther King Jr. throughout the civil rights movement. And so he’s been sort of at the center of the struggle for quite some time. And notably, he was one of the Wilmington 10 civil rights activists who were unjustly convicted of committing arson in North Carolina.”
The screening of Spill the honey-Shared Legacies is April 16 at 6:30 at the Grandin Theatre. Tickets are 15 dollars. Denise Allen Membreno WFIR News.
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A collaboration between the Roanoke Jewish Federation and the Harrison Museum of African American History is bringing a poignant film to the Grandin Theatre. Spill the Honey-Shared Legacies shares the history of the Black and Jewish Alliance and how their histories impact that relationship. WFIR’s Denise Allen Membreno reports.
The film “Shared Legacies” examines what brought the two communities together and what that relationship is like today. It features many of the Civil Rights leaders who fought for change in the late 1950s and 1960s. EB Smith Executive Director of the Harrison Museum of African American Culture says it’s good for the younger generation to hear from these people.
“Throughout the civil rights movement, the two communities were pretty aligned for quite some time and worked together on many civil rights issues,” Smith added. “Martin Luther King, for example, famously collaborated with a lot of Jewish clergy throughout the course of his career. The Freedom Riders throughout the South, they were advocating for voting rights, were heavily represented from both communities.”
The SPILL THE HONEY is a non-profit organization which works to educate activists all over the world to bring awareness of past and present to defeat antisemitism and racism. Next week’s screening includes a panel discussion after the film.
“The conversation has shifted to some degree as Israel has become a bigger player, as other issues have come up. And so it’s gotten a bit more complicated,”
said Smith. “But I think it’s a really interesting exploration to kind of come back to those roots and understand where the connective tissue might be so we can continue to move forward in building stronger communities.”
Smith will lead the discussion which will allow the audience to ask questions of Rabbi Judy Schlinder and Dr. Ben Chavez, a Civil Rights Leader and former NAACP Executive Director. The screening is April 16 at 6:30 at the Grandin Theatre. Denise Allen Membreno WFIR News.
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