MEDIA ADVISORY
New York Universitys Gallatin School of Individualized Study will host Building Alliances, Forging Friendships-a series of Black History Month events-February 3-17, at the Jerry H. Labowitz Theatre for the Performing Arts, 715 Broadway, Main Floor (Enter at 1 Washington Place). Seating on a first-come, first-served basis. Please RSVP to studentaffairs.gallatin@nyu.edu or call 212.998.7375. Subway lines: R, W (8th Street); 6 (Astor Place).
Strange Fruit: A film screening Tuesday, February 3, 6:30-8:00 p.m. Strange Fruit is the anti-lynching poem that was written and set to music by Abel Meeropol, a schoolteacher from the Bronx. The haunting ballad, made famous by jazz icon Billie Holiday, remains one of the most influential protest songs ever written. Strange Fruit brings viewers face to face with the terror of lynching as it spotlights the courage and heroism of those who fought for racial and social justice.
Brick by Brick: Rebuilding Black-Jewish Alliances: A discussion Thursday, February 12, 6-8 p.m. Alliances between Blacks and Jews have played major roles in shaping American politics and culture. Radical social movements from labor to civil rights were built on Black-Jewish coalitions, influencing civil rights legislation and many other social justice initiatives. Tensions over housing, community control of schools and other issues have eroded Black-Jewish relations, but did not completely destroy grass-roots interactions. This discussion examines the history of Black-Jewish solidarity and its downturn, and how understanding the causes of conflicts between these groups may lead to solutions to and development of a model to resolve conflicts among other racial and cultural groups.
Moderators:
- Michael Dinwiddie, Associate Professor, the Gallatin School, NYU
- George Shulman, Professor, the Gallatin School, NYU
Participants:
- New York State Senator Eric Adams
- Hasia Diner, Professor, Hebrew and Judaic Studies, NYU
- R. LHeureux, assistant professor, the City College of New York
- New York State Assemblyman Dov Hikind
The session also includes an introductory performance by Judith Sloan, an adjunct professor at the Gallatin School, titled Grandchildren from Opposite Sides.
Alliances in the Arts
Ld Up: Look, Listen and Learn
Performance and film
Tuesday, February 17, 6-8 p.m.
Art is seen as an effective tool to analyze and reconcile injustices in America. It may be used to erase cultural and ethnic barriers, and allows artists to express the complexities of culture and ethnicity in a way that values and accepts differences. It is their artistic expressions that bring these performers together and strengthen relationships among diverse communities. The evening will include performances by the following artists: Shakinuze a.k.a. Lunch Special (Jake Podhurst & John Iannuzzi); the John Iannuzzi Quartet; Trashon Shallowhorn; Luke Brekke-Meisner; Indoda Entsha Percussion Ensemble; and Jody Rucks.