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Students Reflect on Shared Black and Jewish Civil Rights History After Documentary Screening 5

Millennium students Andrew Miller and Shania Nelson. {Red Banyan PR}

By Faran Fagen

One of the most illuminating insights Andrew Miller, a senior, took away from his high school field trip was the interweaving of the African-American and Jewish communities during the civil rights movement.

“My understanding before this trip was that there were just a few white folks without prejudice to help African-Americans,” said Miller, a 17-year-old at Millennium Collegiate Academy in Tamarac. “But after watching the documentary, I see how much the two communities have in common in how we’ve been treated historically, and understand why Jewish people were some of the early leaders of the NAACP and made up most of the white volunteers at protests.”

On Feb. 12, to commemorate Black History Month, David Posnack JCC’s The Overlap hosted more than 300 high school students for a screening of the documentary Shared Legacies. It was followed by a guided discussion led by Spill the Honey, an organization that uses the arts to teach social justice through shared Black and Jewish history.

Students explored the historic Black and Jewish civil rights alliance and the connections between Holocaust history and the African-American experience.

Monarch High School social studies teacher Roberto Fernandez III took one bus of 21 ninth-graders from Coconut Creek to Davie for the historic experience.

“I hope my students walked away from the field trip with a deeper understanding of the powerful connections and collaboration between Black and Jewish leaders during the Civil Rights Movement, said Fernandez, a Broward County teacher of 21 years. “Learning about partnerships like those between Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rabbi Richard Hirsch shows students that meaningful change happens when communities stand together across differences. At a time when our country feels deeply divided, it’s important for students to see real historical examples of bridge-building and solidarity.”

After viewing the documentary, students participated in a guided Q+A and special activities led by Brian Knowles, Education Director at Spill the Honey, discussing the relationship between the Nuremberg laws and Jim Crow laws, the connection between Holocaust history and the African American experience, the importance of representation, and the consequences of dehumanization.

Fernandez also wanted his students to reflect on the lessons of the Holocaust and how those lessons apply to their own lives.

“Studying the Holocaust creates space to talk honestly about the roles of upstanders, bystanders, and perpetrators,” Fernandez said. “These conversations are especially relevant when we think about issues like bullying in schools—one of the biggest concerns families and students have today. By understanding how silence and indifference can cause harm, and how courage and allyship can make a difference, students can begin to see their own responsibility in creating safer, more inclusive communities.”

Fernandez is considering a follow-up “Upstander Action Lab” in which students could create skits, campaigns, or projects that model upstander behavior and promote allyship, turning lessons from the Holocaust into real-world action. He’s also exploring a visit to the Broward County School Board’s Craig and Barbara Weiner Holocaust Museum to give students a deeper understanding of the Holocaust by examining artifacts.

As for Miller, he came away with a much deeper appreciation for Jewish and African-American culture, and how important it is to “learn about it and not forget it”.

“The highlight of my trip would have to be hearing some of the other students speaking so passionately about their love and appreciation for the Black and Jewish communities,” Miller said. “It was very powerful.”

This event is part of The Overlap’s second year of programming. Designed to bring people together across cultural, faith, and identity lines, The Overlap uses the arts, open dialogue, shared learning, and interfaith experiences to bridge communities and build empathy.

In addition to Monarch and Millennium, participating schools included: Atlantic Vocational College, Blanche Ely High School, Boyd Anderson High School, Cypress Run Alternative Center, Flanagan High School, Henry D. Perry High School, Hollywood Hills High School, and Stranahan High School.

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