There are a number of traditional Black African communities that practice Judaism, the most prominent of which are the Beta Israel of Ethiopia. Furthermore, the often overlapping histories of Blacks and Jews in the 20th century (e.g. in the civil rights movement and the development of popular music) have led to a significant number of Black Jews in North America and Europe, mostly of mixed-race heritage or converts. Estimates of the American Black Jewish population range from 40,000 (according to the Encyclopedia of Black America) to 500,000 (according to an article in Ascent Magazine). The following is a list of some prominent Black Jews.

List of Black Jews

• Darrin Bell , cartoonist (Jewish mother)
• Lisa Bonet, actress (Jewish mother)
• Troy Beyer , actress (Jewish father)
• Nell Carter, actress & singer (convert)
• Craig David, singer (Jewish grandmother)
• Sammy Davis Jr., entertainer (convert)
• Laïka Fatien , jazz singer (Jewish mother)
• Aneesa Ferreira , reality tv contestant (Jewish mother)
• Aaron Freeman , journalist & comedian (convert)
• Anais Granofsky , actress & director (Jewish father)
• Reuben Greenberg , police chief of Charleston, South Carolina (convert)
• Lani Guinier, law professor (Jewish mother)
• Carolivia Herron, author (Jewish-born)
• Rashida Jones , actress (Jewish mother)
• Yaphet Kotto, actor (Jewish-born)
• Jamaica Kincaid, author (convert)
• Oona King, British MP (Jewish mother)
• Lenny Kravitz, rock musician (Jewish father)
• Julius Lester , children's writer and academic (converted)
• James McBride, writer & composer (Jewish mother)
• Elliott Maddox , baseball player (convert)
• Abbie Mitchell, actress & singer (Jewish father)
• Walter Mosley, author (Jewish mother)
• Joshua Nelson , gospel singer (Jewish-born)
• Sophie Okonedo, actress (Jewish mother)
• Marvin Pontiac , R&B singer (Jewish mother)
• Rain Pryor , actress (Jewish mother)
• Joshua Redman, saxophonist (Jewish mother)
• Tracee Ellis Ross, actress (Jewish father)
• Maya Rudolph, comedian (Jewish father)
• Rowetta Satchell , singer (Jewish mother)
• Frank Silvera , actor & teacher (Jewish father)
• Willie "The Lion" Smith, jazz pianist (Jewish father)
• Khleo Thomas , actor (Jewish mother)
• Rebecca Walker, feminist writer (Jewish father)
• Robin Washington, journalist (Jewish mother)
• Jamila Wideman , basketball player (Jewish mother)
• Jackie Wilson, soul singer (convert)

Also of note is Mezz Mezzrow, a Jewish jazz player who identified as African-American.

See also

• Black Hebrews, List of Jews, List of African-Americans, List of multiracial people