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07/21/2001 - Saturday - Page A 12
Building Racial Bonds: MLK's son, rabbi speak on black-Jewish relations
by Denise M. Bonilla
Staff Writer
They come from different backgrounds and different religions, but on Thursday night Martin Luther King III and Rabbi
Marc Schneier joined together in Westhampton Beach to profess a "new era of cooperation" among blacks and Jews.
"Ten years ago, I would definitely say there was an element of conflict, not cooperation," Schneier told the audience at
the Hampton Synagogue. "Today in the state of black-Jewish relations, there is a spirit of cooperation." King, son of the
late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., and Schneier, the synagogue's founding rabbi, talked about black-Jewish relations and
about the progress made since the Crown Heights riots nearly 10 years ago. The riots, which erupted in the Crown
Heights section of Brooklyn in August 1991, spotlighted the tensions between the area's black and Hasidic residents.
"I stand here with buoyancy and optimism 10 years after Crown Heights," said Schneier, who is president of the
nonprofit Foundation for Ethnic Understanding in Manhattan.
The night began with an introduction by some synagogue members describing blacks and Jews as groups that often
crossed each other's paths in the years during and after the civil rights movement.
Throughout their speeches, Schneier and King referenced Schneier's new book "Shared Dreams," which details King's
father's support of the Jewish community. King, who said he's known Schneier for several years, wrote the introduction for the book.
During a question-and-answer session after the speeches, one audience member asked about Schneier's conversations
with Louis Farrakhan, the controversial Nation of Islam leader who has made anti-Semitic remarks.
Schneier, who said he was not at liberty to discuss the talks, added that although the black leader wanted to reconcile,
change still was needed before old wounds would heal.
"I feel very, very strongly that the last step in a true reconciliation between the African-American and Jewish
communities would involve dialogue with Farrakhan," Schneier told the crowd.
Later, during a book-signing session, the rabbi said he felt relations had improved to the point that he didn't believe a
situation like Crown Heights could repeat itself. King was equally hopeful, but warned that violence often occurs when
there is a weak economy and people are frustrated.
Donna Bloxon, 38, of West Hampton, said she enjoyed hearing both King's and Schneier's messages, particularly King's
emphasis on the importance of tackling one's own prejudices before taking on racism in the rest of the world.
"It's kind of philosophical, but in the truest sense we can do it, we can improve [relations] if we can improve ourselves,"
said Bloxon, who is African-American. "Are things better? Yes, but there's still a long road ahead of us."
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