SCHOLARS IN ARMS FROM PAGE 75

not allowed in their community. The
Manasses responded by selling their
home and moving elsewhere.
"These men and women literally
dedicated themselves to the fostering of
excellence within these schools," Eaves
says. The refugee scholars often helped
black colleges secure accreditation sta-
tus. Manasse, for one, had many offers
during his academic career, including
one from Princeton University, where
he spent a year. But, notes Eaves, he
wouldn't leave North Carolina State.
The movement toward black auton-
omy in black colleges never threatened
-Manasse's place at the institution. "He
was part of the fabric," Eaves says.
Eaves thinks the documentary's
greatest value is its affirmation of the
meaningful and substantive work of
these institutions.
"There are people who continue to
believe and certainly believed at that
time that if you went down to that lit- .
de colored school, you weren't going to
learn anything. Little did they know
the level of brilliance and intensity that
these small colleges provided."
Like the Rasmussens, Eaves feels the
message serves black and Jewish"audi-
ences.
The provost hopes to use the docu-
mentary during Black History Month
as a foundation for opening a dialogue
with the Durham Jewish community.

and the United States.
While the documentary is intended
for general audiences, Sucher says the
interest from young African-American
students has been extraordinary. A recent
screening at the Old Synagogue in
Baltimore to a packed house of blacks
and Jews inspired a major response from
many young African American students
who admitted they were learning about
this chapter of history for the first time.
In addition to doing screenings to
mixed audiences through Hillel, the
Anti-Defamation League and other
institutions, Sucher is trying to raise
money for screenings at 25 historically
black colleges.
Sucher hopes the film will be both
inspirational and get people thinking
about black-Jewish relationships.
For Sucher, the son of Holocaust
survivors, this film stems from his
political background and a lifelong
interest in leftist causes. The produc-
er's sister, Cheryl Sucher, writes about
the Holocaust. Her latest novel, Rescue
of Memory, is based on their family.
Sucher and Fischler, both 51, have
been making award-winning documen-
tary films of historical, cultural and
political significance since 1969. In
1976, each received Guggenheim fel-
lowships, the youngest filmmakers to do
so, to research the history of anarchism.
While Sucher eschews the title
"Jewish filmmaker," he hopes that
Inspiration For The Documentary Jews will see his documentary. After a
recent screening at the Miami Film
A letter to the New York Times decrying
Festival, one Jewish man told Sucher
- the anti-Jewish sentiment being stirred
that he hoped a lot of blacks could see
up by individuals at black universities
the film so they would understand
caught the attention of producer Joel
how much the Jews did for them.
Sucher and his partner, Steven Fischler.
To Sucher, such a reaction is the
The letter alluded to a little-known
antithesis of what the film stands for.
time when black colleges extended a
hand to Jewish scholars who were leav- • "It's what these two groups did for
each other," he emphasizes. El
ing Nazi Germany. It also cited a
book, From Swastika to Jim Crow,
written by Gabrielle Edgcomb, who
From Swastika to Jim Crow is
was a refugee from Germany.
scheduled to air on PBS stations
Their curiosity piqued, the producers
nationwide 10 p.m. Thursday,
contacted the book's author, as well as the
Feb.
1. Check your local listings.
letter writer, "refugee scholar" Professor
Locally,
it will air 10:30 p.m.
John Herz, who is featured in the film.
Friday, Feb. 23, on WFUM-TV-
While Sucher and Fischler discerned
Channel 28. A spokesman for
the makings of a good film after read-
WTVS-Channel-56
said the sta-
ing Edgcomb's book, it took some time
tion
plans
to
air
the
special
in
to raise the funds. Edgcomb who is
April.
In
addition,
there
will
be a
also a subject of the documentary, died
screening
1-3
p.m.
Wednesday,
before its release. The movie is dedicat-
Jan. 31, at the Charles H. Wright
ed to her. Dr. Manasse, who was living
Museum of African American
in a nursing home when he was inter-
History in Detroit. The screening
viewed for the film, also has died.
is free with museum admission:
The film cost about $200,000 and
$5 adults/$3 children 17 and
took four years to create and edit. It
under. For information, call
was also difficult finding and tracking
(313) 494-5800, Ext. 0.
down some of the scholars. The
archival material came from Europe

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