42 | JANUARY 11 • 2024

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s a symbol of unity
and coming together
during these current
times of division and increas-
ing levels of antisemitism, the
nonprofit foundation Spill
the Honey recently hosted its
annual gala. A “Celebration of
Unity and Legacy” was held at
the Atheneum Suite Hotel in
Detroit to celebrate the shared
histories and hardships that
bond the African American
and Jewish communities.
The gala, attended by more
than 450 people of all faiths
and backgrounds, supported
the foundation’s work to engage
educational institutions, col-
laborate with corporations and
institutions to support their
diversity, equity and inclusion
programs and leverage the arts
to highlight those who are spill-
ing the honey in their commu-
nities through the history of the
historic alliance of the African
American and Jewish commu-
nities at the height of the Civil
Rights era.
As Spill the Honey Founder
and President Dr. Shari Rogers
said at the gala, “This was a
reminder of the power of our
coalition and what we can
accomplish together.
”

Founded in 2012, Spill the
Honey was inspired by the
wisdom of two leaders, Martin
Luther King Jr. and Eliezer
Ayalon, a protégé of Eli Wiesel.
A Holocaust survivor like
Wiesel, Ayalon was gifted a cup
of honey from his mother the
final day she would see him
before being sent by the Nazis
to five concentration camps.
The honey symbolized a sense
of hope and survival.
In addition to honoring the
legacies of those who paved
the way for social justice, the
evening honored Spill the
Honey Foundation Chairman
Dr. Clarence B. Jones, a monu-
mental figure in the civil rights
movement and a close confi-
dant of Dr. Martin Luther King
Jr., who helped draft the iconic
“I Have a Dream” speech and
who has continued to carry on
Dr. King’s legacy to this very
day.
Dr. Jones opened his remarks
by saying, “Together, we are
powerful. We come from differ-
ent faith communities, but we
are united in our unshakable
commitment to do justice, love
mercy and walk humbly with
our God. We are powerful
because we will never abandon
the dream of Dr. Martin Luther
King Jr.
”
Guests also got a firsthand
look at that alliance in a spe-
cial, abridged version of the
documentary Shared Legacies:
The African-American Jewish
Civil Rights Alliance. The gala
included appearances by Fred
Ferber, a Holocaust survivor;
Leila Steinberg, a renowned
recording artist, producer,
manager and mother-figure to
the legendary Tupac Shakur;
Grammy-nominated artist Mali
Wilson, the brains behind the
score for Shared Legacies; and
former U.S. President Barack
Obama via video.

faces&places

Spill The Honey

PHOTOS COURTESY OF SPILL THE HONEY

Spill the Honey Foundation Executive Director and former
Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence, left, speaking to attendees as
Spill the Honey Founder and President Dr. Shari Rogers looks on.

Former U.S. President Barack Obama addressed attendees at the
Spill the Honey Foundation gala.

Nearly 500 people
came to Spill the
Honey’s annual gala.