August Newsletter - Winding Down the Summer With Partnerships, Gratitude and Growth
August Newsletter
Join the journey to empower the Black-Jewish alliance today
Winding Down the Summer With Partnerships, Gratitude and Growth
As summer draws to a close, we are filled with gratitude and excitement for all that this season has brought. It has been a season of growth, learning, and connection for Spill the Honey.
Across the country and beyond, we have had the privilege of connecting with educators as they prepare to bring our Shared Legacies resources into classrooms this academic year. From Los Angeles to Boston, teachers are embracing new opportunities to inspire students through stories of courage, collaboration, and the enduring power of Black-Jewish partnership.
Summer has also been a season of reflection and evaluation. In this month's newsletter, you'll see the remarkable impact of our work – from students composing original hip hop music inspired by history, to a community imagining powerful new memorials celebrating these woven histories, to civic and community leaders discovering how education can build bridges across difference.
As we look ahead to an exciting fall filled with new partnerships, programs, and possibilities, we invite you to explore where we've been, celebrate what we've accomplished together, and join us for the meaningful journey ahead.
Thank you for being part of the Spill the Honey community and for helping us bring these shared legacies to life.
Celebrating a Remarkable First Half of 2026: Spill the Honey Midyear Report
The first half of 2026 has been a season of extraordinary growth and impact for Spill the Honey's Shared Legacies National Education Initiative. Through 41 educational programs, we reached more than 3,700 students, educators, clergy, and community members cross the country, bringing the powerful history of the Black-Jewish alliance to classrooms, campuses, houses of worship, and community organizations.
Independent evaluation confirmed what we witness every day: education changes hearts and minds. Participants demonstrated an average 20-point increase in historical knowledge, with a remarkable 31-point gain in understanding the connections between the Jim Crow and the Nuremberg Laws. Even more encouraging, 100% of participants learned new Black-Jewish history and agreed this history should be taught.
We also reached an exciting milestone with the development of our national online educator training platform that ensures teachers everywhere can access our curriculum and bring these essential lessons to their students.
As we look ahead, we are building on this momentum through new partnerships in schools across the country, major universities, educator conferences, and national leadership convenings. We are deepening our presence in Boston, Charlotte, Detroit, and Los Angeles, continuing our innovative Bars & Bridges Hip Hop Education Initiative, and serving as a partner in convening national gatherings of Black pastors, rabbis, educators, and civic leaders.
None of this would be possible without the generosity of our supporters and partners. Together, we are ensuring that the history of Black-Jewish partnership is not only remembered – it is inspiring a new generation of bridge-builders and shaping a more hopeful future for our communities and our nation.
Mali Wilson Brings Shared Legacies Theme Song “No More Silence” To Streaming Platforms
“Some songs don’t begin on streaming platforms. They begin in people’s hearts.”
Grammy-nominated producer, songwriter, and recording artist Mali Wilson released her new single, "No More Silence," worldwide on July 17. Created in partnership with Dr. Shari Rogers, Spill the Honey, and EarthAngel Worldwide, the song serves as the musical centerpiece of the Spill the Honey Movement, an initiative dedicated to promoting understanding, education, and dialogue inspired by the historic partnership between African American and Jewish communities during the Civil Rights Movement.
Written by Mali Wilson, Craig J. Snider, Eric D. Wilson, and Dr. Shari Rogers, "No More Silence" emerged from a collaborative creative process centered on themes of unity, compassion, and shared humanity. The song encourages listeners of every background to reject hatred, speak against injustice, and work toward stronger communities.
For more than three years, Wilson has performed "No More Silence" at community gatherings, educational programs, and public events across the United States, including appearances in New York City's Central Park, Morehouse College, the Billie Holiday Theatre, and Juneteenth celebrations. Following many of those performances, audience members repeatedly asked when the song would become publicly available. The July 17 release answers that request while supporting the broader educational mission of Spill the Honey.
"Music has always had the ability to bring people together across cultures and generations. My hope is that 'No More Silence' encourages people to choose understanding over division and reminds us that our shared humanity is greater than the differences that separate us." - Mali Wilson.
Check out Dr. Rogers & Mali’s interview with Ashira Solomon @realashirasolomon
Upcoming Events, Fall 2026
Spill the Honey Partners in Leading Atlanta Summit for Black Pastors and Rabbis
Spill the Honey is honored to sponsor and lead the Atlanta Summit for Black Pastors and Rabbis later this month. Our Chair, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., and Executive Director, Rabbi Dr. Judy Schindler, are helping lead an inspiring program focused on strengthening the Black-Jewish alliance and building new strategies for today’s movement.
A central highlight of the Summit will be a screening of an abbreviated version of our acclaimed documentary, Shared Legacies. Dr. Rogers and Sherry Frank will introduce the film, followed by a special performance by Mali Wilson, who will sing “No More Silence,” the film’s powerful theme song. Following the screening, Van Jones, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., Dr. Susannah Heschel, and Rabbi Dr. Judy Schindler will participate in an engaging conversation exploring the new strategies needed to advance the movement today.
Shared Legacies Hip Hop Opened Up the Room: From Shared Legacies to Creating What Comes Next at the YMCA of Greater Boston
At the Roxbury YMCA, young people began the day a little shy. Then they watched excerpts from Shared Legacies: The African American-Jewish Civil Rights Alliance and explored how Black and Jewish communities worked across differences to create change. Soon, history moved from the screen into the recording studio. Participants began experimenting with beats, playing keyboards, writing lyrics, and stepping toward the microphone. As Bars & Bridges creator Antar “Juda” Davidson reflected, “Today they were rappers, and they were producers, and they were witnesses to history.”
The Boston Bars & Bridges workshop, created through Spill the Honey’s partnership with Building Togetherness and the YMCA of Greater Boston, demonstrated what can happen when history, civic learning, and creative expression come together. Boston artist and YMCA youth leader Kadeem McIntosh joined Davidson, helping participants move from audience members to creators. Shared Legacies provided the historical foundation; conversation helped young people connect that history to their own lives; and hip hop gave them a powerful way to respond with their own voices.
The impact extended beyond a single workshop. Boston showed how Bars & Bridges can work within trusted community organizations to strengthen youth leadership, communication, collaboration, and creative skills while opening doors to deeper partnerships. The film opened the conversation. The music opened the room. And the experience opened new possibilities for what comes next.
Want to learn more? Read the full blog. See how one day of history, hip-hop, and collaboration became a model for building bridges—empowering young people to help shape our shared future.
The Room Opened Up: How Shared Legacies, hip-hop and the YMCA of Greater Boston helped young people move from watching history to creating what comes next
Discover the journey of young creatives at the Roxbury YMCA as they explore the African American-Jewish Civil Rights Alliance history through hip-hop and performance art.
Antar Davidson Represents Spill the Honey at AEPI International Convention & Shared Vision for AEPI Bar & Bridges Program
We Have Been Here Before. We Can Build Again
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When Antar “Juda” Davidson represented Spill the Honey at Alpha Epsilon Pi’s International Convention, he brought together two important parts of his life: his deep connection to AEPi and his work advancing Black-Jewish partnership. The gathering offered a powerful reminder that AEPi’s history is intertwined with the Civil Rights Movement. Michael “Mickey” Schwerner, an AEPi brother, was murdered alongside James Chaney and Andrew Goodman during Freedom Summer in 1964, while other AEPi brothers at Vanderbilt joined Black students in the 1960 Nashville lunch-counter sit-ins – standing with them even in the face of violence and threats of expulsion.
Today, Spill the Honey and AEPi have an opportunity to carry that legacy forward to a new generation. Through AEPi House Sessions + Bars & Bridges, Davidson envisions bringing AEPi chapters together with Black fraternity partners, Hillels, local artists, and alumni mentors. Grounded in the history preserved by Shared Legacies: The African American-Jewish Civil Rights Alliance, the initiative uses music, storytelling, and creative collaboration to move students from learning history to building meaningful relationships and developing their own leadership.
As Davidson writes, the goal is to “build the relationship before the next call comes.” More than a century ago, Jewish students came together to confront antisemitism and exclusion. A generation of AEPi brothers later carried that commitment into the struggle for civil rights. Now, AEPi House Sessions + Bars & Bridges offers the possibility of creating the next chapter – bringing Black and Jewish students together not only to remember what earlier generations built, but to create, lead, and build together today.
Dive into the narrative of Antar “Juda” Davidson as he reflects on his experiences at Alpha Epsilon Pi’s International Convention and the future of collaborative leadership within the fraternity.
We Have Been Here Before. We Can Build Again.
By Antar “Juda” Davidson. I recently represented Spill the Honey at Alpha Epsilon Pi’s International Convention in Phoenix. I arrived with two connected purposes: to introduce a Black-Jewish partnership model designed specifically for AEPi.
When a Film Helps Shape a City's Future: Shared Legacies Advances Charlotte's One-of-a-Kind Circle of Humanity
The story of Black-Jewish partnership is helping inspire a bold new vision for Charlotte, North Carolina’s future. On June 16, the Shared Legacies documentary trailer was featured during a presentation to the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, marking another milestone in a community engagement journey that has reached more than 850 Charlotteans through 12 feedback sessions.
Those conversations have helped residents connect the history of Black-Jewish collaboration – from the founding of the NAACP and Rosenwald Schools to the Civil Rights Movement – to the vision for Circle of Humanity: Monuments for Unity and Remembrance. The proposed educational plaza at Marshall Park would bring together a new Holocaust Memorial and Charlotte’s Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, creating a powerful space for remembrance, education, dialogue, and reconciliation.
Commissioners shared moving reflections on the project’s potential to educate future generations and strengthen Charlotte’s commitment to recognizing our shared humanity.
Discover how Shared Legacies is helping shape this extraordinary vision for Charlotte – and hear directly from Mecklenburg County commissioners about why Circle of Humanity matters below.
When a Film Helps Shape a City's Future: Shared Legacies Advances Charlotte's One-of-a-Kind Circle of Humanity
We were honored that the Shared Legacies trailer was shown during the June 16 presentation to the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, continuing a journey that has now touched more than 850 Charlotteans.
New to Spill the Honey: Zoom Training for Educators with Curriculum Director Brian Knowles
Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 7:00 to 8:00 pm
Let educators in your social and professional circles know about this great opportunity!
Spill the Honey Curriculum Director, Brian Knowles, and Executive Director, Rabbi Dr. Judy Schindler, are offering an online Zoom training. Made possible by the generosity of the Redstone Family Foundation, attendees will gain access to a free one-year license to access the classroom documentary and five-session curriculum. Participants will also be eligible to apply for a mini-grant to bring the documentary to their community (see “Bring Shared Legacies to Your Community via our Mini-Grant Program" below).
Dr. Benjamin Chavis's Address in Cambridge and The Chavis Model for Global Curriculum Development
In late July, Spill the Honey Chair Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr. presented a lecture at the ISGAP Cambridge 26 Summer Institute for Curriculum Development in Critical Contemporary Antisemitism Studies, offering a bold vision for the future of the field.
Dr. Chavis called for a “fifth generation” of antisemitism studies – one that moves beyond disciplinary boundaries to integrate history, ethics and theology, law, democratic theory, digital and artificial-intelligence literacy, public policy, experiential education, and sustained Black-Jewish dialogue.
His proposed Chavis Model for Global Curriculum Development centers on eight interconnected pillars, including historical literacy, comparative studies, democratic citizenship, Black-Jewish lived experiences, experiential learning, and global research collaboration. He also called for the creation of a global academic consortium that brings together universities and scholars with diverse areas of expertise.
At the heart of his message was a challenge to higher education: to preserve memory, pursue truth, protect human dignity, and prepare future generations to participate responsibly in a democratic society.
Stay informed with our deep dives into historical ethics, theological literacy, and the future of educational models directed by our chair, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
Dr. Chavis's Address in Cambridge
In late July, our Spill the Honey Chair, Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., presented a lecture at the ISGAP Cambridge 26 Summer Institute for Curriculum Development in Critical Contemporary Antisemitism Studies. The next generation of studies must integrate digital and AI literacy with democratic theory.
Where We've Been Summer 2026
National NewCAJE Conference
In late July, Shared Legacies was screened at the NewCAJE National Convention in Boston. Thirty educators from across the country attended and expressed great excitement about learning more about our curriculum, grants, and programming. There was palpable enthusiasm for incorporating the lessons of this history into their teaching.
Teen Leadership Walk Led by Lappin Foundation
Cohen Camps’ Dor L’Dor Screened Shared Legacies
Across the Cohen Camps Dor L’Dor teen leadership program, more than 80 teens at Camp Tevya, Camp Tel Noar, and Camp Pembroke recently screened and discussed Shared Legacies as part of Lappin Foundation’s Jewish Teen Leadership Walk. The film received an overwhelmingly positive response, with 52.5% of participants rating it excellent and 47.5% rating it good. The program also proved highly educational: 81.1% of participants reported gaining a lot of new knowledge, and 19.0% gained some new knowledge.
These results demonstrate that Shared Legacies is both a compelling educational experience and an effective tool for expanding students' understanding of the Jewish community’s role in the Civil Rights Movement.
Be on the lookout for updates from the first, we hope, of many similar programs across the United States.
AND WE WANT TO COME TO YOUR COMMUNITY!
Bring Shared Legacies to Your Community via our Mini-Grant Program
Spill the Honey’s Shared Legacies Mini-Grant Program supports educators using the Shared Legacies curriculum or film who want to extend student learning beyond the classroom through meaningful family and community engagement. Grants of $300–$750 are available to educators in schools, youth groups, camps, community centers, and eligible Redstone Foundation partner organizations.
Funding can support student-centered events such as community film screenings and discussions, intergenerational or interfaith dialogues, civil rights conversations, exhibits, performances, and presentations. The program is designed to amplify student voices, deepen community understanding, and strengthen connections across communities. Applications are accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis.
For additional information and/or a grant application, please contact Judy Schindler, Executive Director, DrSchindler@spillthehoney.com or Dr. Cindy Kistenberg, Mini-Grant Manager, Cindy@spillthehoney.com.
WEAR THE MESSAGE; SHARE THE LEGACY
Join us in spreading the message of Shared Legacies wherever you go. Visit the Spill the Honey Shop and explore our collection of T-shirts, hoodies, hats, totes, and other merchandise celebrating the powerful history of Black-Jewish collaboration and the ongoing work of building bridges across communities.
Every item tells a story. Every purchase helps us continue sharing the legacy. Show your support, start a conversation, and wear the message of unity, justice, and shared history with pride.
Join Us on the Journey
Your partnership makes all the difference. To learn more about how you and your community can connect with our work and bring the joy of arts and education into your community multicultural alliance building,
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