African American-Jewish Relations: Equal Opportunity and Social Justice: NJCRAC Joint Program plan 1994-1995

African American-Jewish Relations

Changing Conditions

As priorities in agendas between the African American and Jewish communities have taken each in somewhat divergent directions and as differences over some issues continue, both communities will be challenged to work together to address tensions that might arise as a result of these differences. Increased tensions among many ethnic groups continue. Disadvantaged communities remain without real opportunities and ladders out of poverty and continue to face ongoing prejudice. Government intervention and private efforts will be needed to tackle these evolving problems.

Background

The Jewish and African American communities across the country have on the whole enjoyed positive collaborative relationships that have enabled them to work together particularly on issues of mutual concern. Whether it was joint efforts to see the enactment of civil rights legislation, the enforcement of policies protecting the rights and liberties of all people, or efforts to fight racism, anti-Semitism and bigotry, or even the struggle for improved economic conditions, equal opportunity and access for all people, these two communities have been at the foundation of coalitional endeavors on behalf of these issues.

The relationship between the Jewish and African American communities is a complex one containing elements of tension, cooperation, indifference, contradictory strong and weak ties and great expectations. It is a relationship that can best be appreciated in the context of the respective historical journey of each community in the United States, as these experiences have essentially directed our collective behavior and shaped the attitudes and expectations of one another. This relationship has been intertwined for decades, each having been at some point discriminated against by the larger society, though not to the same extent, in the United States. Oppression of Jews occurred more outside the borders of the U.S., whereas for most African Americans entry into the U.S. marked their enslavement.

The Jewish experience in America has included the denial for some of admission to the United States followed by tough working and economic conditions, discrimination and exclusion. However, it also has been a history of having overcome those obstacles and having integrated successfully into the larger society. This was accomplished, in part, through a vigorous effort by the Jewish community to see the enactment of anti-discrimination legislation that assured the right of all Americans to participate fully and equally in all aspects of society. Such efforts provided the opportunity to join in common cause with African Americans and others who were targets of discrimination.

As the economic status of Jews improved, many in the community moved to the suburbs and became absorbed with middle class and suburban concerns while continuing to hold the same views on public policy issues as African Americans. Jewish concern about the well-being of Israel intensified following the 1967 Six Day War and resulted in intensified advocacy efforts and activities relating to Israel. This, combined with concern about the security of Jews in the former Soviet Union and elsewhere resulted in a diminished focus on the domestic agenda.

From the outset the black experience in America included slavery, oppression, segregation and institutional racism. When blacks migrated north and west between 1910 and 1950, discrimination often prevented them from getting jobs. In the 1930s, American blacks were hit hard by the Depression, emerging from it to find themselves in competition with Latino and Asian immigrants for unskilled jobs, which continued as waves of new immigrants entered the U.S.

The passage of legislation outlawing discrimination dramatically increased opportunities for African Americans and others. Notwithstanding these victories, progress continued to be slow as discrimination persisted through attitudes, behavior and sometimes from the failure to enforce the law. Public opinion began to change in the 1980s regarding society's obligation to redress past discrimination. Affirmative action policies were challenged by some whites who charged reverse discrimination. This also occurred at a time when the economy was in recession, jobs dried up and money was tight.

Tensions increased among various ethnic groups as resentment grew over jobs, resources and perceptions that one group was more favorably treated than another. These tensions also included the African American and Jewish communities in some parts of the country. Moreover, these two communities no longer had the same priority concerns and did not share the same opportunities and successes in the United States. They also held different views on a range of issues, including some affirmative action policies, and the response of black leadership to demagogues such as Muslim Minister Louis Farrakhan and others.

Within the Jewish community, there were some who believed that the black community had turned its back on the Jewish community by drawing inward, failing to recognize Jewish involvement in the civil rights movement and making erroneous assertions about Jewish positions on affirmative action and other issues. Some American Jews were distressed by the lack of forthright support expressed by some of the grass roots leaders in the African American community towards Israel. Resentment also was expressed by some over what appears to be the failure of many black leaders to condemn expressions of anti-Semitism by such racial polarizers as Louis Farrakhan, Leonard Jeffries, and others.

Recently, that concern intensified following the meeting between Louis Farrakhan and the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) in September 1993, particularly given the strong relationship that has historically existed between the CBC and the Jewish community. In subsequent meetings with CBC members, strong assurances were given that the meeting with Farrakhan did not signal a movement away from the Jewish community. Members of the CBC heard the Jewish community's serious concern regarding the inclusion of Farrakhan in coalitional activities given his unequivocal anti-Semitic, anti-white and other prejudiced comments directed at women and gays.

In a subsequent development, on November 23, 1993, Khalid Abdul Muhammad, a spokesman for the Nation of Islam, delivered an inflammatory speech at Kean College in New Jersey, in which he attacked Jews and whites in general as well as a number of ethnic, religious and other minority groups (see section on Community Relations Concerns on the Campus). The address received widespread public attention as a result of an advertisement placed in The New York Times and elsewhere by the Anti-Defamation League. The ad consisted entirely of excerpts from Muhammad's speech. As a result of this publicity, the speech was condemned in strong public statements by prominent African American leaders, who called upon Farrakhan to explain the actions of his spokesman. Instead of rebuking Muhammad, in a February 3, 1994 press conference Farrakhan denounced the manner in which Muhammad spoke, but said that he stood by "the truth" of what his spokesman had said. Further, he denounced the ADL and called upon African American leaders to distance themselves from that organization.

Although Jewish leaders reacted to Farrakhan's comments with dismay, the response among African American leaders was mixed. Several accepted Farrakhan's rebuke of Mohammad's "Manner," without addressing the remainder of his statement. Some called on leaders in both their own and the Jewish community to ask for an end to all expressions of hate, bigotry and anti-Semitism, and to move on to address issues on a broader agenda of shared concerns, confronting poverty, drugs, and crime, the core issues on the urban agenda. The NAACP accepted Farrakhan's response on its face, saying that it was prepared to work with him, to believe his statement that he was "neither anti-Semitic nor racist," and that it would "look forward to concrete deeds in the future that would affirm his statements."

In mid-February, leaders of the NAACP and the ADL met to exchange perspectives and reaffirm their "commitment to working toward a common civil rights agenda." Forthright repudiations of Farrakhan's statements were offered by various CBC members. CBC Chairman Kweisi Mfume (MD), while not calling Farrakhan an anti-Semite, acknowledged that the caucus did not plan to establish official working ties with him or with the Nation of Islam.

The Jewish community relations field has and continues to support an approach that includes dialogue and discussion with our friends. Recognizing that differences and even strong disagreements might arise over issues, the field has maintained that the most effective way to express differences has been to share concerns rather than accusing in a confrontational manner. It also has held that as strong as differences may be over the treatment of Farrakhan, every group has the right to decide for itself with whom it meets. Jewish leaders have made it clear that Jewish organizations will not participate in activities that include people expressing anti-Semitic and racist views. At the same time, the Jewish community relations field believes that the relationship with the African American community should not be judged by any single act but rather by the overall experience, locally and nationally.

For their part, some black community leaders have pointed out that their view of the Jewish community was no different from their view of the rest of the white population. Many African American leaders have pointed to repeated occasions in which Minister Farrakhan's remarks were condemned. Others objected to the demand that they publicly denounce a grass roots leader, maintaining that such objections are voiced privately, particularly given the immense popularity of the minister with large segments of the African American community who feel alienated from mainstream black leaders. They point out that their support is for the minister's success in confronting poverty, drugs and crime, especially prevalent in poverty-stricken areas within black America. His message of self-help is one with which they can identify.

Some African American leaders believe that the distance from the Jewish community was caused by our movement away from the domestic agenda. Seldom was the Jewish community seen as active coalition members working on problems that have devastated some segments of the black community: poverty, hunger, homelessness, illiteracy and so on. Charges also were leveled at the Jewish community regarding what was seen as its lack of support for affirmative action programs so vital to assuring opportunities for African Americans.

African Americans also have pointed out that the daily prejudice they continue to experience remains one of the core problems yet to be solved. Notwithstanding laws designed to protect individuals against discrimination, prejudice and racism still are commonplace in American society. The University of Chicago's National Opinion Research Center reported in 1991 that ethnic images, especially of African Americans and Latinos, continue to be negative and that these images shape opinion and attitudes about civil rights, racial integration policies and efforts to redress past discrimination. Racism is not restricted to the poorest African American communities. Middle income African Americans continue to face racism when applying for mortgages. The Home Mortgage Disclosure Act data of the Federal Reserve show that the rejection rate of high-income black households is higher than the rejection rate of low-income white households. (For additional information see Joint Program Plan for 1992-93, page 45.)

For the African American community, some of the problems ravaging the nation's urban centers and poorest citizens are a priori at the top of their agenda. Concerns about violence, poverty, joblessness, substance abuse, safety and guns make it difficult to work on other less compelling concerns. The mortality rate for black males between the ages of 15 to 25 is 3.25 times that for black women, with the main cause of death being gunned down by a fellow African American (The State of Black America 1993). Over 40 percent of African American girls become pregnant by age 18, and 44 percent of African American children live below the poverty line. There is, at the same time, a large number of African Americans who have joined the ranks of the middle class and have succeeded in all spheres of American life. Nevertheless, persistent racial stereotypes intensify the misunderstanding that shapes the special fate of all black Americans today.

Across the board, African Americans have been hard hit by the downsizing now sweeping the country. The elimination of thousands of manufacturing jobs for unskilled workers have hurt African Americans who are employed in great numbers in that sector. In addition, the chronic inadequacies of public education have deprived many blacks the tools needed to succeed in the workplace. Urban schools faced with a myriad of problems are not inclined to stress computer, foreign language, and other advanced skills students need to compete in today's global economy. Thus, students lacking these skills are pushed into jobs with little growth potential, further pushing people to believe that African Americans are incapable of performing at higher levels.

American Jews have long believed that their security and well being is inextricably tied to a society that is economically stable, democratic and one that protects individual rights and liberties. When the society is faced with a weak economy or political conditions that threaten to undermine the democratic base, those living in poverty and those alienated from the political structure are more likely to be responsive to messages that blame specific target groups for the conditions with which they are currently faced. The Jewish community also has held that political democracy and equal economic opportunity are indivisible. For democracy to flourish, its processes must inspire confidence in their ability to provide for the material needs of people as well as for their political and personal liberty, and to do so with equity and justice. The Jewish community has consequently believed that its own well being and the well being of others is best assured in a society that provides for every citizen. It also has believed that the best way to accomplish these goals is to work in coalition with others.

One of the Jewish community's natural and historical allies has been the African American community. A united coalition, working together, always has been more effective than a divided effort. One might recall the Reverend Martin Luther King's words, "if we cannot learn to live together as brothers we will perish as fools."

Many local Jewish community relations councils have maintained strong and enduring ties with leaders of the African American community and continue to work in common cause on issues of mutual concern. Similarly, NJCRAC national member agencies have maintained over the years active involvement with national organizations representing black community concerns and have continued to play a leading role in efforts to combat racism and prejudice, through court action and legislation, public education and joint programs. Notwithstanding differences, the forces drawing these communities together in common cause have enabled us to continue working together to achieve our collective goal of a decent society and equal opportunity for all.

Priority Strategic Goals

The Jewish community relations field should