Learning from History: A Black Christian's Perspective on the Holocaust (review)

Abstract

Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2000. 128 pp. $62.50.Hubert Locke's examination of Jewish Holocaust from perspective of a Black Christian immediately conjures varied responses, depending on perspective of reader. Were it not for his stellar credentials in area of Holocaust studies as a respectful outsider, cynicism and suspicion might be primary responses. In any case, he anticipates and addresses these attitudes as well as stereotypical responses which often accompany an examination of Holocaust and its significance for those outside of Jewish community. While some may find discussion to be repetitive and very basic for those knowledgeable in field of Holocaust studies, Locke's simple approach is germane to his stated goals.Rather than a corrective to interpretation of any specific historical Holocaust events, his examination is an analysis of nature of Holocaust studies and its import for another historically marginalized group, African-Americans. In it he attempts to interpret significance of Holocaust for a group of people who have experienced incomparable, but equally devastating experiences of suffering in United States.The framework by which Locke chooses to communicate his message suggests that his audience is much broader than he originally proffers. The book is categorized by a series of common problems related to issue of Holocaust studies which he then connects to similar historical scenarios of African-Americans. While Locke is careful to address specific questions raised in Holocaust studies, such as why didn't Jews of Europe resist their destruction (p. 21), and how could some European Jews allow themselves to be used as tools of Third Reich in their administration of concentration camps (p. 23), he connects these to similar questions in Blacks' slavery experience -- why didn't more captive Africans resist slavery when they had greater numbers (pp. 20-21) and why did some slaves allow themselves to be used as tools of masters (p. 18).This approach by Locke is not a reductionistic attempt to equate experiences of Jewish victims of Holocaust and African-American slaves; rather, he provides reader with an identifiable framework from Emmanuel Levinas for understanding and empathizing with the other by admitting that we interpret and evaluate experiences of others in light of our own self-centered interests (p. …