Blacklists Through the Ages

From the Red Scares of the early 20th century to the Hollywood Blacklist of the Cold War era, blacklists have surfaced in moments of national fear and political upheaval—curtailing careers, silencing dissent and reshaping American cultural and civic life. The 1919–1920 Palmer Raids and the anti-communist fervor of the 1940s and ’50s reveal how quickly suspicion can harden into policy, and how communities—often including Jews—have been disproportionately scrutinized or targeted. What can these earlier chapters teach us as new forms of blacklisting emerge in today’s polarized climate?

Dr. Lauren Strauss, a professor of modern Jewish history specializing in American Jewish cultural and political life, joins Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Glenn Frankel, author of High Noon: The Hollywood Blacklist and the Making of an American Classic, to explore the origins, impact and lasting consequences of blacklists in America. Moderated by Amy E. Schwartz, Opinion and Books Editor of Moment Magazine.

This event is offered both in person and virtually. For the virtual event, click here.

In partnership with Moment Magazine.

Image Credit: Panel Conversation at the Capital Jewish Museum, October 2023.