Jews and Blacks: A Dialogue on Race, Religion, and ... (ISBN 0452275911)

Common Struggles:
Micheal Learner and Cornel West attempt to solve some of the problems and tentions that have turned Blacks against Jews, and Jews against Blacks. What ethnic and or religious group have suffered the most? Native Americans,Chinese,Japanese,Blacks, Jews? What ever your answer maybe, the truth is that Blacks and Jews have been the some of the most oppressed poeple in America and the world. It is that one factor that has linked these two groups as allies, and enemies. The Civil Rights Movement in America was centered around the coalition between Blacks and Jews. Jews and Blacks spent countless of hours, days, and years for the betterment and equality of African Americans. Blacks and Jews protested,fought, and died for the sake of the movement. The late Dr. Martian Luther King, and Rabbi. Abraham Joshua Heshual, Marched side by side in the March on Washington. Micheal Learner and Cornel West explore the relationship between the two groups, during and after the 1950's-1960's. Learner and West specifically address the bitter end of what seemed to be a good thing. Inspite of the awesome force that the Black-Jewish coalition has forged, like most things, it came to an end. But the ending was not romantic as it was hurtful. The murder of Dr. King declined the progress, and a new Black Nationalism emerged from the surface. The Black Nationalist believed that if "good Whites" were sincere they would, "go back to your own neighborhoods and teach there own people. We blacks have to solve our own problems"! The nationalist movement broke the partnership between the two groups. Micheal Learner and Cornel West dialog on current tentions, that includes Farrakhan and Crown Hieghts. There is no question that leaders from both sides added fuel to the fire between Blacks and Jews. When Jesse Jackson showed his favor Yassar Arafat, it disturbed the Jewish community. The American Jewish community layed out a full campain to murder the character of Jesse Jackson. They called themselves the "Jews against Jackson". There solgan was "ruien Jesse ruien". The Jewish attempt to destroy Jackson was an outrage to the Black community. No African American was more outraged than Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan couldn't believe that Jackson denounced, and dismissed his assistance. As a result, Louis Muhammed Farrakhan lead a huge cusade against the Jewish community. In an attempted to "break up the relationship between Blacks and Jews Farrakhan preached anit-semitism to anyone who would listen. He has distributed literature entitled "the secret relationship between Blacks and Jews, and the Protocals of the Elders of Zion". He has hosted lectures on the "international Jew, and the Jewish conspircy to destroy Black Leadership. Although there is no question of small elements of Black anitsemitism, Micheal Learner also responds to racism within the Jewish community. He has admitted that racism is a double edge knife that cuts both ways. His book, along with the insite of Cornel West was designed to reach both communities. They reconized the problems and realities, than discovered positive ways of fixing it. They have done an excellent job of getting there serious message heard. Blackss and Jews, let the healing began!

Hope for fighting Bigotry:
It has been said that racism and bigotry are permanent in American culture. Not only is there not an ongoing public dialogue on issues of race and ehtnicity, but there's not even a common vocabulary for creating one. This is what West and Lerner try to change. While each maintains his own unique experience and perspective, the two of them solicit ideas and perspectives from each other, challenging each other's presuppositions, all in the atmosphere of a lasting, respectful, and genuine friendship. This book is required reading for every American who cares about the growing devides between us.

Too tame:
How are two of America's minorities, Blacks and Jews, getting along? Are they fighting for human rights together? Or are some of them bailing out on support for human rights, at least on some issues, as if they have forgotten that oppression is bad? Michael Lerner and Cornel West explore some of these issues. One question is, of course, justice, and that includes high-publicity trials for violent crimes. I have noticed that many Whites are willing to strongly denounce the outcomes of the Rodney King and Latasha Harlins cases. It seems to me that fewer Blacks are as willing to denounce the outcomes of the Nicole Simpson/Ron Goldman and Yankel Rosenbaum trials. I was hoping this book would have, as a minimum, both authors advocate that both sides do better here. There will occasionally be some outrageous outcomes of court cases. We have to accept that. But I think we have to speak out in favor of truth and justice and do it loudly. And I think this book is far from satisfactory in that regard. On another topic, here is an amazing quote from Lerner: "I don't underestimate the pernicious effect on Jewish consciousness of Commentary Magazine and The New Republic, each of which has given a certain intellectual legitimacy to racist tendencies in the Jewish world, most importantly the deep desire to imagine that Jews have no serious moral or political stake in ending the economic oppression of Blacks. But these are nevertheless not people who in any overt and conscious way say that Blacks are an evil force in the world." Wow. It is true that there are a few Blacks who do insist that Jews are an evil force in the world. But why contrast them with Commentary, which is a conservative but non-racist magazine, let alone with The New Republic, which is a liberal magazine that does claim that we all have a serious moral and political stake in ending discrimination against Blacks? There is an interesting discussion of Black nationalism. And I certainly agree that it is wrong to oppose nationalism simply on the grounds that some nationalists can be racists or bigots. When people have common interests or problems, it often makes sense for them to form a national group. There's also a discussion of Jewish nationalism. Lerner makes the point that the Dreyfus case in France was a key element in showing the need for Jewish nationalism. Now, what ought one hope for in a book of this sort? One hope might be that right or wrong, the two authors would agree on how to cooperate. They would come up with some bad ideas, but the good part would be that they agreed! Another hope could be that they would come up with good ideas. I think they came closer to the former than the latter.