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.

Details:
Thursday, April 23, 2026
KSU Center
The event begins at 7:00 p.m. (Doors open at 6:30pm). A reception with light hors d'oeuvres will be held before the screening begins at 7:00 p.m.

Panelists:

Dr. John Eaves is the Founder of the Black and Jewish Leaders of Tomorrow. His passion for “service to others” reflects his Jewish ancestry, while being deeply grounded by challenges of racism associated with being a person of African ancestry. Dr. Eaves holds a Bachelor’s from Morehouse College; Master’s from Yale University;and a Ph.D. from the University of South Carolina. As an active member of the Temple(Hebrew Benevolent Congregation) in Atlanta, he has also served in leadership roles as Chair of the Racial Justice Committee and a member of the Board of Directors. Dr. Eaves served as Chairman of the Fulton County Board of Commissioners (2007-2017). He currently serves as a “lecturer” at Spelman College in the Political Science Department.

Adina Langer has focused her 20-year museum and public history career on interpreting traumatic historical events for diverse audiences while emphasizing the dignity and individuality of the people who experienced them. An active curator, oral historian, educator, presenter, editor, blogger, and published author, she has created or co-curated more than eighteen exhibits with permanent homes at three museums, presence on the Web, and a busy schedule traveling the library, school, and community center circuit. Langer employs an interdisciplinary, process-driven methodology in her work that emphasizes connections between diverse audiences, community storytellers, and scholarly perspectives. Editor of the anthology Storytelling in Museums (AAM Press, 2022), she has also published recent work in magazines (Canopy Forum, 2019; Museum, 2023) and academic journals (The Public Historian, 2022; Journal of Community Engagement and Scholarship, 2025). After working as part of the curatorial team for the National September 11 Memorial & Museum from 2006 - 2012, Langer served for a decade as Curator for the Museum of History and Holocaust Education, part of the Department of Museums, Archives, and Rare Books at Kennesaw State University. She is currently enrolled in the history PhD program at Georgia State University where she is researching relationships between public history and movements for justice. She holds an MA in public history and archives from New York University (2009) and a BA in history and creative writing from Oberlin College (2006).

Dr. Catherine Lewis is Associate Vice Provost of Museums, Archives & Rare Books and the University Libraries and Professor of History at Kennesaw State University. She oversees a multi-million-dollar budget with a staff of nearly 100 professionals. Dr. Lewis helped found the Museum of History and Holocaust Education at Kennesaw State University and is the author, co-editor, or co-author of sixteen books. Dr. Lewis regularly presents at national and international conferences and has helped bring numerous grants to KSU from the U.S. State Department, the American Alliance of Museums, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Marcus Foundation, and the Breman Foundation.

Dr. Nefertari Yancie is an Assistant Professor of History Education at Kennesaw State University. Dr. Yancie’s research interests include developing students’ historical empathy skills utilizing counternarratives, graphic novels, and historical dialogues. Her research especially focuses on how historical empathy may be utilized in the classroom to explore how enduring issues such as racism and social injustice have their roots in the past and continue to impact the present. Her most recent articles are Rediscovering the Monumental Oscar Dunn: Developing Historical Empathy Utilizing Graphic Novels and Giants of Civil Rights: Fostering Historical Empathy Skills by Examining the Debate Between Washington and Du Bois.

Accessibility: This film is presented with open captions. If you have other specific accessibility needs, please fill out this form or contact Christian Stegall at cstegall@gpb.org. 
 

Corporate support for BLACK AND JEWISH AMERICA: AN INTERWOVEN HISTORY was provided by Bank of America and Johnson & Johnson. Major support was provided by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Major support was provided by The Klarman Family Foundation, Robert K. Kraft through the Blue Square Alliance Against Hate, Bradley M. Bloom, the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, Abby Milstein & Howard Milstein—Chairman of Emigrant Bank and co-founder of HooverMilstein, Ford Foundation, and Dr. Georgette Bennett in memory of Dr. Leonard Polonsky CBE. Major support was also provided by Leonard & Judy Lauder, The Ronald & Jo Carole Lauder Foundation, The Righteous Persons Foundation, and Mimi & Peter Haas Fund. Additional support was provided by The Jeffrey H. & Shari L. Aronson Family Foundation, David Berg Foundation, Kenneth & Kathryn Chenault through the Ayco Charitable Foundation, David Fialkow, Grain Family Foundation, Hobson Lucas Family Foundation, Jewish Story Partners—Co-Founders Roberta Grossman & Caroline Libresco, Van Jones—Founder of the License to Dream Fund, Laura & Gary Lauder, Carol Sutton Lewis & William M. Lewis, Jr., Michael Lynton with Ares Management LLC, Charles E. Phillips, Regina K. Scully and Artemis Rising Foundation, Robert F. Smith, Sy Syms Foundation, The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, The Inkwell Society, together with these members—Jim & Susan Swartz, Hayward & Kathy Draper, Betsy & Jesse Fink, John H. N. Fisher & Jennifer Caldwell, Brenda Johnson, Eric G. Johnson, Mitch Kapor & Freada Klein, Richard & Kathy Taylor, Larry Thompson & Dr. Unjeria Jackson, Lloyd & Teri Trotter, Charlotte Wagner, and Fletcher & Benaree Wiley, and by public television viewers.