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Combat Antisemitism Movement (CAM) African-American Alliance Manager Dazia Wallerson participated alongside more than 200 leaders from across the United States in last week’s 2nd National Convening of the Black-Jewish Alliance in Chicago.
Hosted by EXODUS Leadership Forum, Redstone Family Foundation, and The Unity Forum, the summit brought together civic leaders, clergy, educators, students, artists, and philanthropists, for the purpose of strengthening relationships, confronting rising antisemitism and racism, and advancing a shared national strategy for renewing and revitalizing the historical Black-Jewish partnership.
The event was a follow-up to May’s inaugural meeting in Miami, which Wallerson also attended.
Keynote speakers at the three-day gathering included TV personality Van Jones, media executive and philanthropist Shari Redstone, civil rights icon Dr. Benjamin Chavis, and Eli M. Black Distinguished Professor of Jewish Studies at Dartmouth College Dr. Susannah Heschel.
The agenda included main-stage sessions, case-study breakouts, design sprints, working groups, shared meals, and cultural programming.
“Listening to Black and Jewish students dream up a new future together was a powerful highlight,” Wallerson said.
“Sometimes, we have to approach this work differently. More humanly,” she added. “We can’t always start with a policy. Sometimes we are called to start with a song, a shared meal, or a few quiet minutes together before diving into the work. That is what I experienced here. It’s in the relationship that will carry us farther, above and beyond antisemitism, racism, and hate. People need to be reminded of their humanity.”
The National Strategy for Black and Jewish Partnership, a living document first unveiled in Miami earlier this year, centers on five pillars:
— Promoting Awareness and Historical Understanding
— Deepening Relationships and Building Trust
— Shaping a Public Narrative Around Black-Jewish Allyship
— Coordinating Efforts Across the Field
— Expanding Partnerships for Collective Advocacy and Action
At the Chicago summit, Wallerson facilitated a “wedge issue” table discussion and joined the “Shaping the Narrative” working group.
She also presented to her peers CAM’s Robert M. Beren Bridge Builders Fellowship, a year-long program designed to develop Black and Jewish college student leaders and offer a collaborative platform for the development of practical initiatives to counter antisemitism and racism.
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The bonds between the Black and Jewish communities have long played a critical role in promoting civil rights and combating discrimination across America. CAM’s work with African American partners — including through the Beren Fellowship, as well as unity forums held over the past year in Chicago, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Atlanta — aims to rejuvenate those ties to address common challenges and motivate a new generation of leaders to once again stand together against hate.
Read more:
Robert M. Beren Bridge Builders Student Fellowship Program Launched to Revitalize Black-Jewish Ties
