Tavis Smiley kicked off the event with impassioned remarks about Black and Jewish history and the current moment

Los Angeles – The Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA) hosted an event at the Skirball Cultural Center to revisit the Civil Rights era and recommit to the historical bonds that have shaped the two communities’ relationship. To celebrate Black History Month, the event featured 150+ artists, producers, managers, and executives from the Black and Jewish communities.

Following a welcome ceremony, the group toured “The Light of Ours: Activist Photographers of the Civil Rights Movement.” The exhibit features 150 photos taken by Civil Rights insiders showcasing the vital work of a broad coalition of organizers and everyday people whose collective action changed America. Included in the exhibition are intimate photos of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and Rabbi Abraham Heschel.

Before the tour, Tavis Smiley, Talk Show Host and Author; Autumn Rowe, Grammy-award Winning Songwriter and Activist, and Cory Litwin, Music Manager and BJEA Director shared remarks.

Tavis Smiley said, “I believe that Martin Luther King, Jr. is the greatest American that this country has ever produced.” He added, “Dr. King’s close relationship with Rabbi Abraham Heschel stands as the quintessential example of what is possible when Black folk and Jewish folk work together.” And that, “the fact you have to go back 6 decades to come up with an example of us working together is a damning indictment on the ways we’ve fallen short”. Smiley closed with “if our conscience doesn’t tell us that this type of alliance isn’t the right thing to do, in this moment, then I shudder for our future.”

Autumn Rowe said, “as someone who is Black and Jewish, growing up in the South Bronx, I didn’t feel like I had a community.” And that, “I’m so grateful to the BJEA because I now feel like I’ve found a welcoming community who looks like me.”

Cory Litwin, BJEA Manager said: “this alliance came about as industry leaders realized that our two communities are stronger when we stand together. This event is an especially important one for Black History Month to highlight our two communities’ long history, shared values, and common interests.”

Photos available here

Photo credit: Daniel J. Sliwa

ABOUT THE BLACK JEWISH ENTERTAINMENT ALLIANCE

 The Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA) is the first initiative by Black and Jewish entertainment industry leaders dedicated to building bridges between their respective communities and countering institutional racism and antisemitism. To learn more, please visit: https://blackjewishentalliance.com/

High profile entertainment industry executives & Grammy-winning artists gathered to explore freedom and liberation

Los Angeles – To celebrate Passover and explore the continued struggle for freedom, the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance (“BJEA”) hosted Freedom Seders in New York City and Los Angeles. Freedom Seders are a tradition dating back to the first anniversary of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr., when Jewish and Black activists came together in Washington, D.C. to share a meal in solidarity. For both communities, they serve as historical totems connecting the past and present. The New York City seder was held in partnership with UJA-Federation New York.

The seders, held prior to and during Passover, brought together over 200 Black and Jewish entertainment industry leaders, including actors, musicians, producers, executives, and writers, alongside community leaders and activists. Faith leaders helped facilitate both seders. Rabbi Heather Miller, founder of The Multitudes co-led the New York City event. And in Los Angeles, the seder was co-led by Sinai Temple’s Rabbi Erez Sherman and Dr. John-Paul C. Foster, Senior Pastor at Faithful Central Bible Church in Los Angeles. Through ritual, songs, and storytelling, attendees renewed their commitment to combating injustice and the collective pursuit for freedom.

To organize the seders, BJEA worked with Nate Auerbach, partner at Versus Creative, a leading music marketing agency, who has hosted Freedom Seders for eight years. “The Freedom Seder uses the framework and symbols of the traditional Passover ritual dinner to explore modern themes of liberation and justice. I have been hosting iterations of this program for nearly a decade and continue to learn how important it is to build unity through consistency” said Auerbach, whose company connects communities to music and culture through storytelling and meaningful experiences. “Our intention is to grow a deeper understanding for one another’s unique experiences through open conversation, by asking questions and in sharing a delicious meal.” 

“I had a good time at the NYC Freedom Seder. I learned more about the Jewish community and inclusive culture,” said Vin Rock, of the Grammy Award winning group Naughty By Nature. “I also met new people to network with and had an awesome meal paired with great stories over a few glasses of wine!”

“These Seders empower entertainment industry professionals from the Black and Jewish communities to discuss unity, freedom and solidarity,” said BJEA Manager Cory Litwin, who is also a Managing Partner at Range Media, whose clients inlcude Murda Beatz & Da Baby. “Both communities have suffered greatly and continue to experience oppression today – so to share a meal and lean on the timeless story of Passover to learn from one another is extremely powerful.”

The program brought together high-profile entertainment industry executives, entertainers, and creatives from the music industry for an evening of remembrance and conversation. Host Committee Members and Attendees included Tiffany Haddish, Actress; Vin Rock, Artist/ Naughty By Nature; Daniel Glass, Founder & CEO, Glassnote Entertainment Group; Brian Dobbins, Co-President, Artists First; Steve Lobel, CEO, We Working & Lobel Music Group; Jeriel Johnson, Founder/CEO, Telescope Arts & Music Group; Phylicia Fant, Head of Music Industry & Culture Collaborations, Amazon Music; Kenny Hamilton, Entrepreneur/Founder CSH Management Group, Inc.; Aton Ben-Horin, EVP, A&R Warner Music Group & CEO, Plush Management; Binta Brown, Partner, Manatt, Phelps & Phillips; Emmanuelle Chriqui, Actress; Cory Litwin, Music Executive/Manager; Autumn Rowe, 3x Grammy Winning Songwriter/ Producer, Artist, Activist & DJ; Nate Auerbach, Partner at Versus Creative; Ari Ingel, Executive Director of Creative Community for Peace; amongst many others.

The BJEA was founded to bring the Black and Jewish communities together in solidarity, to support each other in their struggles, and to better understand each other’s plight and narratives.

ABOUT THE BLACK-JEWISH ENTERTAINMENT ALLIANCE

Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA) is the first initiative by Black and Jewish entertainment industry leaders dedicated to building bridges between their respective communities and countering institutional racism and antisemitism. To learn more, please visit: https://blackjewishentalliance.com/

The non-profit organization’s executive committee released a statement stating that “an attack on one community is an attack on all our communities.”

LOS ANGELES (May 25, 2021) — Today, the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance Executive Committee released a statement on behalf of the Alliance condemning an alarming wave of antisemitic hate and bigotry that has spread across America and the United Kingdom. The Alliance has vowed to use their platform to speak out against hate in all its forms, to urge unity amongst minority groups, and maintain that an attack on one community is an attack on all minority communities.

“As Black and Jewish entertainment industry leaders, we condemn the appalling explosion of antisemitic violence and rhetoric across America and Europe over the past week,” the statement begins.

Troy Carter (Founder of Q&A), Ben Silverman (Chairman and Co-Chief Executive Officer of Propagate Content), Autumn Rowe (Songwriter, Artist, DJ), Alistair Goldsmith (Partner, Metropolis Music), Donna Caseine (EVP – Global Creative Director Reservoir), Brian Dobbins (Co-President of Artists First), Steve Rifkind (CEO of Spring Sound), and Ezekiel Lewis (EVP & Head of A&R | Epic Records) Markell Casey (Senior Director, Pulse Music Group), Zach Katz (Co-Founder and CEO, Raised In Space), Raye Cosbert – UK – (Partner, Metropolis Music); are among 15 members of the initiatives Executive Committee to issue the joint statement Monday.

“In major hubs for our industry – including Los Angeles, New York and London – Jews eating out at restaurants, walking down the street, and driving their cars, have been targeted, physically assaulted, and sent to the hospital. Countless synagogues and Jewish businesses have been vandalized. Roving mobs have come to Jewish neighborhoods shouting vile antisemitic statements.”

The statement references several high profile attacks on the Jewish community: An attack that targeted a group of Jewish diners in a Jewish neighborhood, an Orthodox Jewish man who was chased by assailants shouting from their vehicles, and a recording that captured an antisemitic motorcade in London.

STATEMENT

As Black and Jewish entertainment industry leaders, we condemn the appalling explosion of antisemitic violence and rhetoric across America and Europe over the past week.

In major hubs for our industry – including Los Angeles, New York and London – Jews eating out at restaurants, walking down the street, and driving their cars, have been targeted, physically assaulted, and sent to the  hospital. Countless synagogues and Jewish businesses have been vandalized. Roving mobs have come to Jewish neighborhoods shouting vile antisemitic statements.

There is absolutely no justification for these actions. No matter anyone’s political beliefs, the targeting and threatening of a minority community is reprehensible.

This week’s events come amidst a backdrop of steadily rising antisemitism globally. All marginalized and targeted minority communities must stand together to address this disturbing trend.

Progress is only achieved through dialogue and engagement, and never through violence and intimidation. An attack on one community is an attack on all our communities.

A list of all Alliance members can be found here:  https://blackjewishentalliance.com/website-launch/

** Note – All organizations and companies listed are for affiliation purposes only.

ABOUT THE BLACK-JEWISH ENTERTAINMENT ALLIANCE

The Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance is the first initiative by Black and Jewish entertainment industry leaders dedicated to building bridges between their respective communities and countering institutional racism and antisemitism. To learn more, please visit: www.blackjewishentalliance.com