The US Capitol dome in Washington, DC. Photo: REUTERS/Erin Scott

Members of Congress and nonprofit leaders gathered in the Capitol on Thursday to celebrate the relaunching of the Black-Jewish Congressional Caucus, a bi-partisan group of elected officials which aims to fight hate and racism.

The event marked what many attendees hoped would be a new era of good relations between the Black and Jewish communities, which have at times drifted apart due to disagreements over the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and racial privilege, as well as the rise of antisemitic Black nationalist movements.

The caucus, the first ever in American history, was launched in 2019. Caucuses have to be renewed with every new Congress, and Thursday’s event, attendees said, builds on four years of hard work between the two communities. The event comes in the wake of high-profile incidents in 2022 with two major celebrities, Kanye West and Kyrie Irving, uttering or promoting classic antisemitic tropes of Jewish power and control. 

“I think it’s an incredible and positive development,” Darius Jones, CEO of the National Black Empowerment Council, told The Algemeiner. “Fighting antisemitism and racism has inspired a resurrection of the Black-Jewish relationship at the community level, and it’s great to see it happening and even better that national leadership is stepping up to move it along.”

Several members of Congress delivered remarks during the event, including co-chair Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-NY), who said that both Jews and Blacks are equally despised by white supremacists.

“Jewish tradition teaches that it is incumbent upon us to speak out and act against injustice. African American and Jewish communities have a long, shared history of confronting discrimination and racism in the United States, and the recent rise of white supremacy, bigotry, and antisemitism poses a direct threat to both our communities,” Schultz said. “This caucus will build upon our historic fight for a better, more peaceful world, while also raising awareness in Congress about the common issues facing our communities.”

Major Jewish nonprofits were also in attendance, including officials from the AJC — which organized the event after first announcing the Black Jewish Caucus at its 2019 AJC Global Forum — and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).

“AJC’s mission to enhance the wellbeing of Jewish people and defend democratic values, and promoting pluralism is core to that mission,” AJC CEO Ted Deutch said in a statement. “The Black and Jewish communities have long shared a common cause fighting discrimination and hate. At a time of rising antisemitism and racism, we applaud this bipartisan effort to bring out communities together.”

ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt also issued a statement, saying, “At a time when hate-fueled rhetoric and attacks are on the rise, we are heartened to witness our leaders’ commitment to unity — irrespective of political party.”

Follow Dion J. Pierre @DionJPierre.