Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History
2026 · PBS · 52 min · 1 season
S01E04 · Crossroads
Wed, 18 Feb, 2:00 pm
Examines the shifting Black-Jewish relationship from the 1970s onward, exploring political gains, global tensions, rising hate, and the enduring lessons of coalition building and solidarity.
About
Black and Jewish America: An Interwoven History is a four-part series tracing the rich, complex relationship between Black and Jewish Americans — defined by solidarity and strained by division. Drawn together by racism and antisemitism, they forged civic and cultural bonds, especially during the civil rights era. The series explores both the challenges and enduring promise of that alliance.
Episodes
- E01
Let My People Go
Wed, 4 Feb· 52 minExplores the core differences at the start of the Black and Jewish American stories, as well as overlapping struggle, faith, resilience, and early civic partnerships by the 1920s.
- E02
Strange Fruit
Wed, 11 Feb· 52 minSpotlights how Black and Jewish communities collaborated in the early 20th century on music, movies, and the universal fight against fascism, navigating tensions while shaping culture, confronting injustice, and leaving a lasting social impact.
- E03
The "Grand Alliance"
Wed, 18 Feb· 52 minTraces the 1960s' "Grand Alliance" as Black and Jewish communities fought for civil rights in a transformative interracial coalition, and the imbalances that quickly tested their alliance.
- E04
Crossroads
Wed, 18 Feb· 52 minExamines the shifting Black-Jewish relationship from the 1970s onward, exploring political gains, global tensions, rising hate, and the enduring lessons of coalition building and solidarity.
Cast
Henry Louis Gates Jr.
Host