In a moment crowded with noise and nostalgia, Van Jones, CNN political commentator and founder of Exodus Leadership Forum sits down with The Wide River Project to discuss the next chapter in Black Jewish relations—one rooted in courage, complexity and the fight for real, shared power. In conversation with Moment Institute Senior Fellow and Executive Vice President of Race Forward Eric K. Ward and Moment CEO and Editor-in-Chief Nadine Epstein.
This program is also part of a Moment series on antisemitism supported by the Joyce and Irving Goldman Family Foundation.
- The “Wide River Project” explores the shared and dividing experiences within the Black Jewish community dialogue through art, history, and lived experiences.
- The discussion aims to foster difficult, urgent, and necessary conversations about the present and future of these communities.
- The episode, “Beyond Allyship: Black and Jewish Futures,” highlights the importance of bridge-building, justice, and dignity across deep divides.
- The conversation emphasizes moving beyond reconciliation to transformation, sharing power across lines of race, faith, and history, and building real partnerships for shared purpose.
- Van Jones shares his personal journey from growing up in the rural South amidst segregation and poverty to attending Yale Law School, crediting opportunities and support from both Black and white mentors.
- A significant point is the formative relationship between Van Jones, as a Black Nationalist, and Dorothy Zellner, a Jewish civil rights activist and former SNCC Freedom Rider, highlighting a historical alliance that transcended racial hostility.
- The discussion underscores that communities inherit not only trauma but also a tradition of courage and faith, even in the face of adversity.
- Growing up in a small Southern town taught the importance of getting along with people despite political and social differences, fostering skills in navigating diverse viewpoints.
- The conversation concludes with a reflection on the need for grace and understanding for everyday people’s fallibility, contrasting it with the “fragility and sensitivity” sometimes seen in current discussions.