SHARED LEGACIES: THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN JEWISH CIVIL RIGHTS ALLIANCE – A Review by John Strange
I have heard stories about the struggles of African Americans and Jews all of my life. Their struggles, now that I have seen this film, Shared Legacies: The African-American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance, are more similar than I ever imagined.
This film follows the history of the civil rights movement examining the events and the people involved. When we think of the movement, most of us think about luminaries such as Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, and Reverend Jesse Jackson. But we need to also remember such notables as Rabbi Michael Berenbaum, Rabbi Peter S. Berg, and Rabbi Saul Berman. In fact, the man who introduced Dr. King prior to his speech in Washington, D.C. during the 1963 March on Washington was Rabbi Joachim Prinz.
This is a fascinating story of faith and courage that is well structured and told in a compelling manner using archival footage and stills interleaved with first-hand accounts from people who lived it.
Harry Belafonte and Louis Gossett, Jr., Hollywood legends, are among the luminaries that tell us about their personal experiences. Martin Luther King III tells us about his father, Dr. King, as did the children of other notable figures.
All in all, this is an excellent window into our collective history. As a life-long student of history, I find that films like this resonate with me. I think that you will like Shared Legacies: The African-American Jewish Civil Rights Alliance as much as I did!
Director: Shari Rogers
Cast: Louis Gossett Jr., Harry Belafonte, John Lewis, Michael Berenbaum, William G. Anderson, William J. Barber II, Gina Belafonte
MPAA Rating: NR
Selig Rating: 5 Stars
Runtime: 95 Min.
Movie Site: SHARED LEGACIES Official Site
Trailer: SHARED LEGACIES Trailer
Virtual Screening: Miami Jewish Film Festival, 4/15 – 4/29/2021, https://miamijewishfilmfestival.org/
The Selig Rating Scale:
5 Stars – Excellent movie, well worth the price.
4 Stars – Good movie
3 Stars – OK movie
2 Stars – No need to rush. Save it for a rainy day.
1 Star – Good that I saw it on the big screen but wish I hadn’t paid for it.
