170 Industry Leaders Sign Unity Statement To Launch Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance

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To mark the first day of Black History Month, 170 leading Black and Jewish members of the entertainment industry have signed a unity statement to form the Black-Jewish Entertainment Alliance.

“Jewish and Black artists, musicians and entertainers in some ways share a parallel history in their respective communities,” says Propagate Content chairman and CEO Ben Silverman, one of the signatories alongside Billy Porter, Sherry Lansing, Tiffany Haddish and at least 165 more. Before he died, Larry King also signed the unity statement. “After having been blocked from entering other industries, both independently turned to different aspects of show business as a refuge and outlet, and became pioneers and partners driving evolution and transformation in the creative fields.”

Added Antoine Fuqua in a statement, “As two communities that have long been targeted simply for who they are, the Black and Jewish communities are stronger when we stand together. It is thus incumbent on us, as members of the entertainment community, to continue to be united in the face of hateful discrimination and be a positive voice for change.”

Silverman says the Alliance came together naturally through the network of professional and personal relationships people have with one another in the industry and was motivated in part by the desire to heal from the chaos and laments during the Trump era. “The intertwined Confederate and Nazi imagery at the Capitol on Jan. 6 put a spotlight on racial disparities—how little has changed over time,” he says. “Our generation that stands on tall shoulders of the past can continue to shelter in our separate igloos of privilege with our own stories echoing back to us, or we can unite.”

The Alliance will hold programming events designed to foster understanding and fellowship between the two communities. The coming month will see a panel about being both Black and Jewish (featuring musician/activist Autumn Rowe, social justice artist Bourn Rich and former pro basketball player David Blu), a discussion of historical Black and Jewish musical collaborations (led by Gene Simmons and Sharon Osbourne) and a conversation with the CEO and president of Nashville’s newly opened National Museum of African American Music, H. Beecher Hicks III. Future plans include both virtual events like Clubhouse talks and, health permitting, in-person trips such as pilgrimages to destinations that are historically and/or culturally significant to each community.

“This Alliance will elevate voices in the entertainment community that can help the public to better understand the causes, manifestations, and effects of racism and antisemitism, ensuring that our industry is doing its part to be a voice for hope, unity, and healing in our country,” said Warner Records co-chair and CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck in a statement.

“The impact of the Alliance is to reignite and realign the power that exists in the connection between the Black and Jewish communities,” says Silverman, who notes that Jewish Americans were allies of the civil rights movement and that his own commitment to the cause stems from his grandfather Max Delson, an attorney who represented the first all-Black union (the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters) as well as Actors’ Equity under its first Black president, Frederick O’Neal. “The purpose is to grow and build a civil rights movement for the next generation, to complete the work left undone, and to write a new chapter for the future.”

Read the full unity statement below and see the list of signatories so far.

UNITY STATEMENT

We acknowledge that the Black and Jewish communities have a shared history of subjugation and persecution.

We recognize that the Black community in America has faced a history of racism that continues to this day, while the Jewish community is currently encountering record levels of antisemitism, which affects both groups’ sense of fear, vulnerability, and self-worth.

As members of the entertainment community, we stand against all forms of hate, and pledge to work to bring our two communities together in solidarity, to support one another in our struggles, and to better understand each other’s plight and narratives.

The Jewish community must continue to speak out against racial injustice and work to effect change, while the Black community must continue to speak out against all forms of antisemitism.

In the spirit of Martin Luther King Jr., Rabbi Abraham Heschel, and the many Blacks and Jews who stood together in the fight for civil rights, we come together to support each other in the struggle against hatred and bigotry.

In the words of the late John Lewis, “We are one people, one family, the human family, and what affects one of us affects us all.”

SIGNATORIES

24kGoldn: Artist

Josh Abraham: Co-CEO, Pulse Music Group

Jason Adelmen: Former VP of Strategic Partnerships at Relativity Media

Marty Adelstein: CEO, Tomorrow Studios

Michael Adler: Lichter, Grossman, Nichols, Adler, Feldman, & Clark

Nate Albert: Executive Vice President of A&R, Warner Music Group

Jason Alexander: Actor

Mitch Allan: President/Founder, Mitch Allan Inc.

Chris Atlas: EVP Urban Music & Marketing, Warner Records

Nate Auerbach: Partner, Versus Creative

Justice Baiden: Manager and Co-Founder, Love Renaissance (LVRN)

Zach Banner: NFL Player, Steelers

Eve Barlow: Music Journalist

Aaron Bay-Schuck: CEO/Co-Chairman Warner Records

Benda: DJ

Aton Ben-Horin: Global Vice President, A&R, Warner Music Group

Steven Bensusan: President, Blue Note Entertainment Group

Mayim Bialik: Actress

Joshua Binder: Partner, Rotherberg, Mohr, and Binder LLP

Neil Blair: Partner, The Blair Partnership

Ozwald Boateng: Fashion Designer

Evan Bogart: Songwriter & Co-Founder of Boardwalk Entertainment Group

Catherine Brewton: Vice President, Creative at Broadcast Music, Inc.

Ryan Butler: Project Manager, Recording Academy

Valeisha Butterfield Jones: Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, The Recording Academy

David Byrnes: Partner at Ziffren, Brittenham, LLP

Barbara Cane: Vice President, Worldwide Creative of BMI

Nick Cannon: Actor/Producer

Troy Carter: Founder at Q&A

Donna Caseine: EVP Creative, Reservoir Media Management

Markell Casey: Senior Director, Pulse Music Group

Ted Chervin: Founding Partner, ICM

Emmanuelle Chriqui: Actress, Activist

Stanley Clarke: Musician, Composer

Jim Cooperman: Senior VP Legal and Business Affairs, Madison Square Garden Company

Raye Cosbert: Managing Director, Metropolis Music

Mike Cotler: Actor

Terry Crews: Actor

Craig David: Artist/Songwriter

Andre Davidson: Music Producer, The Monarch

Sean Davidson: Music Producer, The Monarch

Doug Davis: Partner, The Davis Firm

Suzanna de Passe: Film & TV Producer

Kosha Dillz: Artist/Songwriter

Brian Dobbins: Co-President, Artists First

David Draiman: Musician and front man of Disturbed

Craig Emanuel: Partner, Paul Hastings LLC

Bruce Eskowitz: COO, Redlight Management

Jeffrey Evans: Baseline Management

Phylicia Fant: Co-Head Urban Music, Columbia Records

Sharon Farber: Composer

Eric Feig: Eric Feig Entertainment & Media Law, Inc.

Patti Felker: Partner, Felker, Toczek, Suddleson, & Abramson LLP

Ken Fermaglich: Partner, United Talent Agency

Marc Fineman: Founder and President, FINE Group

Erica Forster: VP of Music Partnerships, DanceOn

Daryl Friedman: Chief Advocacy & Industry Relations Officer, The Recording Academy/GRAMMYs

Antoine Fuqua: Director/Producer

Marra Gad: Author, Producer

Nick Gale (Digital Farm Animals): Artist/Songwriter/Producer

David Gardner: Co-President, Artists First

Willie Gault: Olympic Gold Medalist

Nicole George-Middleton: Senior Vice President of Membership at ASCAP

Gary Gersh: President, Global Touring, A.E.G

Donna Gigliotti: Film Producer

Karen Glauber: President, HITS Magazine

Elon Gold: Actor, Comedian

Alistair Goldmsith: President, Chosen Music

Michael Goldwasser: Record Producer & President/Co-Founder of Easy Star Records

Shani Gonzales: Managing Director, Warner Chappell UK / Head of Global A&R

Louis Gossett Jr.: Actor

Andrew Gould: Former President of A&R, Downtown Music Publishing

Max Gousse: CEO, Founder, Artistry Records

Damien Granderson: Partner, Granderson Des Rochers, LLP

Trudy Green: Trudy Green Management/HK Management

Steve Greenberg: Founder & President, S-Curve Records

Benjy Grinberg: Founder and President, Rostrum Records

Ethiopia Habtemariam: President of Motown Records

Tiffany Haddish: Comedian, Actress

Kenny Hamilton: Partner, CSH Management Group, Inc.

Herbie Hancock: Grammy Award Winning Artist & Musician

Rani Hancock: President, Sire Records

Ronnie Harris: Partner, Harris & Trotter LLP

Jo Hart: Founder, Hart Media

David Helfant: Attorney, Law Offices of David A. Helfant

Dule Hill: Actor

D.L. Hughley: Actor, Comedian

Ari Ingel, Esq.: Director, CCFP

Randy Jackson: Manager/Producer/TV Personality

Neil Jacobson: Former President, Geffen Records, Founder of Hallwood Media

Jonathan Jakubowicz: Writer, Director

Jeriel Johnson: Executive Director Washington DC, The Recording Academy

Jaha Johnson: SVP/Head of A&R, HITCO

Al Joyner: Olympic Gold Medalist

Rachel Kaplan: Producer, Absecon Entertainment

Zach Katz: Co-Founder and CEO, Raised In Space

Larry King: TV Host

Scott Kluge: President, Tremendous Entertainment

Amanda Kogan: Agent, The Gersh Agency

Blair Kohan: Partner, UTA

Rick Krim: Former Co-President, Sony/ATV Music Publishing

Sherry Lansing: Former CEO of Paramount Pictures

Eriq LaSalle: TV & Film Producer

Estelle Lasher: Manager, Producer

Colin Lester OBE: Founder, Chairman, JEM Music Group

David Levy: Former President of Turner/WarnerMedia, Founder of Back Nine Ventures

Ezekiel Lewis: EVP and Head of A&R, Epic Records

Rob Light: Partner/Managing Director/Head of Music, CAA

Kenny Lofton: All-Star & Gold Glove-Winning Baseball Player and CEO, Filmpool Inc.

David Lonner: CEO, The David Lonner Co.

Ben Maddahi: SVP of A&R, Columbia Records

Gabriel Mann: Composer/Producer

Susan Markheim: Full Stop Mgt. – The Azoff Company

Orly Marley: President, Tuff Gong Worldwide

Harvey Mason Jr.: Interim President/CEO, Recording Academy

Nancy Matalon: VP of A&R, Spirit Music Group

Chioke “Stretch” McCoy: Founding Partner, Active Management

Cameron Mitchell: CEO of Curated By Media

Warren Moon: Hall of Fame NFL Quarterback

Lisa Nupoff: Music Manager, IMINMUSIC Management

Sharon Osbourne: American-British Television Personality, Manager

Guy Oseary: Manager, Founder, Maverick Management

Metta World Peace: Former NBA Player

Ron Perry: CEO/ Chairman of Columbia Records

Julian Petty: EVP, Head of Business and Legal Affairs, Warner Records

Mekhi Phifer: Actor

Jeremy Piven: Actor

Lylette Pizzaro: Founder and Co- Managing Partner, Influence Media

Billy Porter: Actor

Michael Praw

David Renzer: Former Chairman/CEO of Universal Music Group Publishing

Bourn Rich: Social Justice Street Artist, Clothing Designer

Lindy Robbins: Songwriter

Hanna Rochelle: Founder & President of Lyric Culture

Sam “Romans” Roman: Artist/Songwriter/Producer

Rick Rosen: Co-Founder & Head of Television, WME

Aaron Rosenberg: Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & Light, LLP

Shep Rosenman: Partner, Katz Golden Rosenman LLP

Phil Rosenthal: TV Writer, Producer, & Talent

Jeff Ross: Comedian

Michael Rotenberg: Partner, 3 Arts Entertainment

Autumn Rowe: Singer/Songwriter

Anthony Saleh: Partner WndrCo

Jacqueline Saturn: President, Caroline Music/Capital Music Group

Oscar Scheller: Songwriter/Producer

Paul Schindler: Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Jordan Schnur: CEO, Mimran Schur Pictures

Steve Schnur: Worldwide Executive & Music President, Electronic Arts

Sam Schwartz: Co-principal of Gorfaine/Schwartz Agency

Camila Seta: Marketing & Content Strategy at Rogers & Cowan

Cathy Shulman: President and CEO, Welle Entertainment

Mark Siegel: Partner, Head of Music, ICM

Ben Silverman: Chairman and co-CEO of Propagate Content

Gene Simmons: Artist/KISS

Ralph Simon: Chairman & CEO, Mobilium Global Limited

Martin Singer: Attorney, Lavely and Singer

Jeff Sosnow: EVP A&R, Warner Records

Nicky Stein: Partner, Clintons

Gary Stiffelman: Founder, GSS Law

Traci Szymanski: President, Co-Star Entertainment/Isrealife Media Group

Adam Taylor: President/CEO, APM Music

Noa Tishby: Actress, Singer

Fred Toczek: Partner, Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson LLP

Diane Warren: Songwriter

Joshua Washington: Artist/Songwriter

Jon Weinbach: EVP/Executive Producer, Mandalay Sports Media

Larry Wilmore: Comedian, Producer, Writer, Actor

Evan Winiker: Manager, Full Stop Management

Jeffrey Winter: Executive Director, The Film Collaborative

Won-G: Artist, Manager