42 | JANUARY 11 • 2024 

A

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.

