Rethinking Allyship: African Americans and Jews in the Fight Against Hate
With the rise of antisemitism in recent years, many in the Jewish community are questioning whether the allies they once relied on are still showing up. To address these concerns, AJU is launching a three-part series that examines the current potential for coalitions against hate with key communities: African American, Asian American, and LGBTQ+. Each program will feature AJU President Jeffrey Herbst in dialogue with experts on these communities, providing fresh perspectives on allyship that are often missing from Jewish conversations.
Part one of this three-part series features a thought-provoking conversation with Anthea Butler, Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social Thought at the University of Pennsylvania, as she explores the complexities of African American solidarity with the Jewish community in the face of rising antisemitism.
The Project on Allyship to Combat Antisemitism is funded by The Schechter/Levine Program in Public Ethics and the Sid B. Levine Service-Learning Program.
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Anthea Butler is the Geraldine R. Segal Professor in American Social thought at the University of Pennsylvania. Professor Butler’s research and writing spans African American religion and American Religious history, race, politics, Evangelicalism, media, and popular culture. Butler’s recent book is White Evangelical Racism: The Politics of Morality in America. Her articles have been featured in the New York Times, The Washington Post, CNN, NBC, and The Guardian.
Dr. Jeffrey Herbst, the fourth president of American Jewish University (AJU), is an advocate for academic innovation. His leadership at AJU includes fostering growth in the Maas Center for Jewish Journeys, expanding the Maven digital platform, and improving the Brandeis-Bardin Campus. Formerly, he served as president and CEO of the Newseum and the Newseum Institute in Washington, DC. Notable achievements include successfully overseeing a half billion-dollar fundraising campaign, implementing a university-wide strategic plan, and enhancing educational programming at Colgate University, where he was president from 2010 to 2015. Dr. Herbst holds a summa cum laude bachelor’s degree from Princeton University, as well as a master’s and doctorate in political science from Yale University. He is the author of the award-winning “States and Power in Africa” and, with several co-authors, the just-published “Making Africa Work.” In addition to many books and articles, he has been published in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and many other digital and print publications around the world.
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