FROM SWASTIKA TO JIM CROW

FROM SWASTIKA TO JIM CROW

    Price: $310.00

    Code: 1512

    Produced by Steven Fischler and Joel Sucher
    Directed by Lori Cheatle
    2000, 60 minutes
    Purchase: $310 Classroom Rental: $125


    In the 1930s Jewish intellectuals who escaped Nazi Germany and immigrated to the U.S. faced an uncertain future. Confronted with anti-Semitism at American universities and a public distrust of foreigners, many sought refuge in an unlikely place-traditionally black colleges in the segregated South. Securing teaching positions, these scholars came to form lasting relationships with their students, and made significant contributions to the communities in which they lived and worked. Based on the book by Gabrielle Simon Edgcomb, From Swastika to Jim Crow tells the little-known story of two very different cultures sharing a common burden of oppression. The scholars found new meaning and purpose in their adopted homeland. Their students, benefiting from the knowledge brought to them by these refugees, were able to go on and develop their own academic careers. The video also highlights the role of African Americans, like Ralph Bunche, in securing positions for these refugee scholars at places like Howard University, Tougaloo College and Hampton Institute.

    Subjects & Collections



    Reviews

    "Provides a good introduction to an underreported aspect of the Civil Rights Movement, and it could be used in high school or college classes that study the era." — Library Journal

    "Viewers interested in both black history and the Holocaust will be fascinated by this moving tribute." — Booklist (American Library Association)

        "...remarkable...a fine piece of work...informative but not preachy, lively but not rushed, logical in design and rhythmically lyrical...The film finds nobility, honor and truth in the connections that were forged between students hungry for knowledge and teachers driven to impart their expertise and wisdom...But the more fundamental truth of From Swastika to Jim Crow is its affirmation of the human spirit, of the ability of one human being to touch another irrespective of race, religion or politics." — New York Daily News

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