This essential and edifying documentary chronicles the history of the Black-Jewish alliance in America. Revisiting critical points in history when Black and Jewish Americans faced hardships due to segregation and racism, the film begins with the founding of the NAACP in 1909 – when Jews, Gentiles, and Black Americans initiated a “new abolitionist movement” – and concludes with an examination of modern-day race relations.
With its impressive array of storytellers and archival footage, the film explores the normalized bigotry of the Jim Crow South, the North’s rampant bias in the areas of housing, employment, and education, and the civil rights era initiatives that brought Black and Jewish leaders together to support Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision for a more just and equitable world. Unfortunately, the bond these communities shared during the civil rights era has since strained and issues like white flight, geographic insularity, and tension between Orthodox Jews and African Americans in places like Crown Heights, Brooklyn have added a whole other level of complexity.
Recently, under our current administration, groups like the Alt-Right have strived to gain legitimacy and sow seeds of discord in our increasingly divided country; add to that the effects of mass incarceration on communities of color and increasing incidents of police brutality and misconduct towards those same communities. Finally, compound that by the fact that communities of color are currently being hit disproportionately hard by COVID-19, you have a realistic rendering of present-day America. At a time when change seems possible, SHARED LEGACIES is a crucial reminder of how unity is the only way to bring peace into this world.
Live Discussion
Tuesday, March 9 | 7:00pm CST
You will use the same link you receive from Eventive for watching the film and for joining the discussion
Moderator: Nancy Burrows
Panelists: Sherry Frank, Chris Riehlmann, Dr. Shari L. Rogers, Rev. Dr. Janette Wilson
Moderator
Nancy Burrows has over forty years’ experience in education and training, and business development. She recently retired from the Business & Career Institute of South Suburban College, where she worked with companies to develop and improve their workforce and with small business start-ups. Regionally, she served on boards of several economic and business development organizations, such as, the South Suburban Small Business Association (SSSBA), Calumet Area Industrial Commission (CAIC), Manufacturing Renaissance, and SCORE. She taught at Indiana University Northwest in Gary, Prairie State College, and Ranken Technical Institute in St. Louis. She has also owned and operated small businesses.
Growing up, Nancy lived in Chicago—in South Shore and Hyde Park, as well as in Indiana Harbor and Forest Hills, New York. During college, she worked summers at The Book Center in Harper Court (Hyde Park) and Operation Push through the late Ralph Metcalfe. These experiences gave her a taste of activism, social need and the latent and overt prejudice that was taking place in Chicago in the late 60s. These jobs helped form her passion for education, civil rights and equal opportunity.
Volunteerism and community are important to Ms. Burrows, and she serves on the board of National Council of Jewish Women, South Cook and is the Chair of the Public Arts Commission of Flossmoor.
Nancy and her husband, Larry, have three adult sons and six grandchildren. She is an avid gardener, reader, jewelry crafter, book discussion leader and lifelong learner.
She has a master’s degree in Adult Education from National Louis University and a bachelor’s degree in English Education from Washington University in St. Louis
Panelists
Sherry Frank retired in September 2006, after serving for 25 years as the Executive Director of the American Jewish Committee, Atlanta Chapter. A community activist and inter-group relations specialist, Sherry helped initiate the Atlanta Black-Jewish Coalition, Faith Alliance of Metro Atlanta (FAMA), and was centrally involved in a wide array of inter-ethnic and inter-faith activities. She led several inter-faith trips to Israel and participated in the first World Pilgrimage to Turkey. She helped create Congregation Or Hadash in 2001 and served as President of the Congregation from 2009 – 2011. She has served on the national boards of the National Council of Jewish Women, and Mazon, a Jewish response to hunger.
Chris Riehlmann is a civil rights attorney and the Director of Open Communities’ Fair Housing program. Chris believes it’s a lawyer’s duty to act as a civic loudspeaker by giving a voice to those without one. He has dedicated his career to representing people who have been injured by various forms of injustice, and he has significant courtroom experience representing plaintiffs in civil court, including issues involving housing discrimination, excessive police force, wrongful death and more. Currently, Chris leads Open Communities’ fair housing investigation and enforcement initiatives, looking into and addressing discriminatory practices in Chicago’s northern suburbs.
Dr. Shari L. Rogers is a licensed clinical psychologist and social activist whose work encompasses movie production, writing, educational programing, curriculum development and public speaking.
She is the Co-Executive Producer of Eli Inspiring Future Generations, a PBS documentary examining the impact of Holocaust survivor Eliezer Ayalon, a Yad Vashem tour guide from Israel, and his inspiration to make positive change in the world. She has also been published in Friendship and Faith, The Wisdom of Women Creating Alliances for Peace.
Shari is the president and founder of Spill The Honey, a Michigan-based 501(c)(3) organization committed to promoting human dignity, as well as advancing public knowledge of the Holocaust and the Civil Rights Movement. Through programs, sponsored initiatives, and strategic partnerships, Spill The Honey advances cultural tolerance, draws attention to contemporary injustices, and encourages young people to become compassionate, global citizens.
Rev. Dr. Janette Wilson currently serves as the Senior Advisor to Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., National President of RainbowPUSH Inc., Assistant Pastor of the Metropolitan Apostolic Community Church and is employed Special Assistant to the Chief Administrative Officer of the Chicago Public Schools. Janette is the co-founder of Wilson, Howard P.C. Attorneys at Law Inc., a firm she and her husband formed in 1980. She served as a criminal defense attorney for more than 15 years (1980-1995).
Janette is a member of the Cook County Bar Association. She was instrumental in forming the Interfaith Lawyers Committee of the Chicago Bar Association. She has lectured on a number of subjects in the area of civil rights, affirmative action and school law. She has been an adjunct professor at a number of seminaries and universities, teaching courses in Marketing, Business Law, Church Law, Ethics, and Church Administration.
Rudy Garrett, A Hoosier native, graduated from Denison University with a B.A. in political science and international studies. She moved to Chicago in August of 2013 to attend culinary school, but found her inner activist instead. She completed the Chicago Votes Winter internship program in late winter/ early spring of 2014. After working at a law firm in the loop, she took a job as a Chicago Votes Field Organizer during the summer/ fall voter registration project and has been working with the organization ever since. Rudy is excited to show young Chicagoans that they can make a difference in their city and encourage the millennial generation to take an active role in the political system.
How to Watch the Film
Viewing Window:
Sunday, March 7 at 9am CST – Tuesday, March 9 at 11:45 pm CST
The film will be available to watch beginning at 9:00am CDT on the day listed above. Once it becomes available, you can access your streaming media via your Eventive account. Once you begin watching the film, you will have 24-hours to complete.
This program is being offered in partnership with:
