Jewish-African American relations focus of program

The Holocaust Memorial Center Zekelman Family Campus (www.holocaustcenter.org) and Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History (http://thewright.org) are partnering host an event on Thursday, Dec. 12, focusing on Jewish-African American relations. Beginning at 7:30 p.m., at the Charles H. Wright Museum (315 E. Warren Ave.) in Detroit, University of North Carolina Professor of History Dr. Genna Rae McNeil will present on "Convergence in the Midst of Conflict: African Americans and Jewish Relationships, 1930-1954." Admission for this event is free. Dr. McNeil will discuss the courage of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who was martyred in Germany during World War II, the impact of Jewish scholars at historically black colleges and universities, and Jewish defenders of the rights of African Americans in movements for justice, freedom and equality prior to the Civil Rights Movement. The presentation is part of a current Holocaust Memorial Center exhibit, "Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow," which is on display through Dec. 15. The exhibit tells the story of Jewish professors who fled Nazism and came to America in the 1930s and 1940s, finding teaching positions at historically black colleges and universities. The exhibition explores the encounter between these scholars and their students, and their impact on each other, the Civil Rights Movement and American society. "The strong relationship between Jews and African Americans is not something that everyone knows about," said Holocaust Memorial Center Executive Director Stephen M. Goldman. "Working with the Charles H. Wright Museum enables us both to take this message beyond our usual audience and show how the power of mutual respect between two groups can help one day to bring us closer to reaching universal hope, tolerance and understanding of one another." The Black United Fund of Michigan is presenting event with additional support from the Anti-Defamation League, Michigan Roundtable for Diversity and Inclusion, Cohn-Haddow Center for Judaic Studies at Wayne State University, Michigan Department of Civil Rights, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Wayne State University Law School and Damon J. Keith Law Collection. Published: Wed, Dec 11, 2013