The Black anti-semitism controversy

After almost a century of collaborative efforts between Black and Jewish organizations on significant issues of civil rights and social justice in America, the nation's Black and Jewish communities have become increasingly polarized during the past several decades over the issue of Black anti-semitism. Fueled by public comments of Louis Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson, Leonard Jeffries and others, by clashes between Black and Jewish residents in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, and by Black-Jewish tensions among students on several college campuses, the debate over whether and to what extent Black Americans manifest discernible traits of anti-semitism in their attitudes toward Jewish people has become one of the volatile social issues of the present time. The Black Anti-Semitism Controversy provides a background and assessment of the issue as it has been discussed in academic and public circles for the past half-century, with an extended review of the literature on black-Jewish relations since World War II. The centerpiece of this collection contains the findings of a survey of Black Protestants in three American cities regarding their attitudes toward Jewish people. Conducted by a