In 2018, the public nature of a disagreement between the Birmingham Jewish Federation and the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute exposed damaged relationships and necessitated years of healing dialogue.  When Margaret Norman began her role in June 2024 as Director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, she knew that despite years of effort on all parts, there was still much work to be done. She was new to her role, as was the Institute’s Board Chair, Rosilyn Houston.  Shortly after beginning her tenure, Norman connected with Ms. Houston, and they began a dialogue about reconciliation. 

This year, Ms. Norman created an opportunity for renewed dialogue in collaboration with her Federation colleagues. A bit before Juneteenth, she called to let the Board Chair of the Civil Rights Institute know that she and her colleagues were planning to take part in the gallery tours that they had planned – to show up, show care, and learn deeply. In turn, Ms. Houston invited Norman to resume conversations about Black-Jewish collaboration, racism, antisemitism, and opportunities to rebuild relationships.

As it turned out, national events would create a sense of immediacy around their dialogue. The evening before their coffee conversation, two young staffers for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C., were murdered. Ms. Norman was able to share during their meeting the next day how vulnerable she and the Jewish community felt after this attack.  She found a willing listener in Ms. Houston, who wanted to hear and understand more, having not yet heard about the acts of antisemitic violence. Ms. Houston circulated the Federation’s statements to her Board and then sent along messages of support to Ms. Norman, affirming the Civil Rights Institute’s dedication to fighting all forms of hate, including antisemitism.

From that conversation came an invitation to a dialogue about the future of the Institute, and then a seed planted for a joint programming idea. The Federation and Civil Rights Institute are planning a movie screening and panel discussion about the film “Ain’t No Back on a Merry-Go-Round,” about activists from Howard University – supported by a number of their Jewish counterparts – to desegregate an amusement park in Maryland. In the film, the activists’ efforts were protested by the American Nazi Party and gained national attention from elected officials and the media. Complicating the story, the segregated amusement park was also owned by a Jewish family, showing the extent to which the Jewish community spoke and acted with a plurality of voices when it came to civil rights and racial justice. They are planning to invite local scholars to speak about relevant threads of local history, and to host a community conversation afterwards about what intergroup looks like today. 

Norman hopes that the screening refreshes conversations about Black-Jewish collaboration during the Civil Rights Movement – and all that might be possible today. Yet it all began with some internal organizing in preparation for Federation staff to participate in Juneteenth and a phone call to let leaders of the Civil Rights Institute know to expect their Jewish colleagues and friends at the gallery tours and learning offerings. 

Perhaps the first step in rebuilding bridges is showing up with an open mind and willingness to learn.