The penultimate episode of Lifting the Curtain on Antisemitism looks at the interwoven, and often tangled, relationship between fighting antisemitism and fighting racism. Antisemitism and anti-Blackness are deeply connected forms of oppression that often work together to reinforce structural inequities under racial capitalism. And yet, the Right has often played these forms of oppression off one another as a means of stymying burgeoning anti-racist alliances, dividing Black and Jewish communities in order to uphold White supremacy.
On this episode, organizer and writer Leo Ferguson and researcher Steven Gardiner connect the fights against antisemitism and racism, and attempts to derail social justice movements. From tensions in civil rights-era New York, to Black Lives Matter, to ongoing attempts to destroy diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives across the U.S., Leo and Steven walk us through the intertwined history of struggles against racism and antisemitism, while exploring how politics surrounding Israel-Palestine have variously shaped and challenged these movements.
Lifting the Curtain on Antisemitism is hosted by Ben Lorber and Shoshana Brown.