N

ow is the critical 
moment for Jewish 
and Black communi-
ties to remember their nat-
ural allyship, says Dr. Shari 
Rogers, Franklin 
filmmaker and 
founder of the 
Michigan social 
justice nonprofit 
Spill the Honey.
While sys-
tematic racism 
persists and acts of hatred 
and antisemitism rise in our 
polarized society, Rogers’
 new 
documentary Shared Legacies: 
The African American-Jewish 
Civil Rights Alliance recounts 
a union that once fought 
injustice to create meaningful, 
legislative change.
“As a Jewish woman, it 
gives me a sense of pride to 
know our community — law-
yers, students and rabbis — 
got involved to help Blacks 
have equal rights,” she said. 
“It wasn’
t all Jewish people, 
as we show in the film, but 
statistically, two different 
communities worked together 
to pass the Voting Rights Act 

of 1965 and to accomplish 
things in America.”
But the groups don’
t sup-
port each other like they used 
to, she said.
“We need to work together 
on today’
s civil rights issues. 
The world is watching now in 
regard to racism, and young 
Jews especially are asking, 
‘
How can I help?’
 We have a 
template and a history of a 
powerful partnership.”
That 95-minute template, 
Shared Legacies, premiered 
at the Atlanta Jewish Film 
Festival in February, where it 
won its first of multiple jury 
prizes for bridge building. 
Rogers is the film’
s director 
and head writer.
Its extensive collection 
of interviews from eyewit-
nesses, activists, 
Holocaust sur-
vivors and civil 
rights leaders 
has since been 
arousing virtual 
film festival audi-
ences from L.A. 
to Nashville and 
from Cleveland to Toronto.

Rogers and executive 
producer Lisa Weitzman, 
a fellow activist and native 
Detroiter living in New 
York, say they want the film, 

recently embraced by schools, 
community organizations 
and social justice groups, to 
serve as an educational tool, 
promoting unity between 

Film promotes revival of the 
Black-Jewish partnership 
for civil rights.

SARAH WILLIAMS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Natural
Allies

ARTS&LIFE
FILM

Dr. Shari 

Rogers

Lisa 

Weitzman

A scene from the film.

SHARED 
LEGACIES
The fi
 lm’s 
producers have 
not yet announced 
a general 
release for the 
Detroit area. 
Check out the 
offi
 cial website, 
spillthehoney.
com, for updated 
information.

42 | NOVEMBER 19 • 2020