SEED school students study similarities between Black and Jewish cultures

BALTIMORE - For a year, students at the SEED School of Maryland have been studying the similarities between the Black and Jewish cultures and histories.

The project is called "Bridge to Freedom: Cross-cultural Conversations through Art."

This week, the students will share what they've learned through music, poetry and a gallery show at the Gordon Art Center. it's a first of its kind and it's all about building bridges.

The event is at 6 p.m. Thursday. It will feature "The Melting Pot" band as well as spoken word performances and the gallery exhibit. Tickets are $20.

Art students at the SEED School carefully hung the images they've created to express what they've learned about the shared history of oppression for both the African American and Jewish communities.

The paintings came after hours of teaching, discussion and debate.

"Where are the places where we are connected? Where are the places we are still moving beyond antisemitism and racism?" said SEED School art teacher Ebonie Miles.

Over the past year, the program included a visit to both the African American Museum of Culture and the Holocaust Museum in Washington, D.C.

For SEED School senior Deana Jennings, it was a revelation.

"If you really think about it, we as African American people, we also went through a Holocaust and are still going through a Holocaust, so, away from our motherland.

"The more we can teach our students about, not only the history of the African American culture, but also the Jewish community, and it brings people together, and that's what this is all about," SEED School board member Tony Campbell said.