Antisemitism and Misplaced Anger in the Black Community
Ever since Kanye West’s recent antisemitic tirade that lost him over a billion dollars in brand deals, and Kyrie Irving’s promotion of an anti-semitic film on Twitter that landed him a suspension from the Brooklyn Nets, conversations around antisemitism have been more prominent than ever. However, it is conversations in the Black community about the subject that are dominating the media on a level unseen in recent years. A lot of prominent Black figures are coming under fire for their antisemitic comments and ultimately, the push of a dangerous line of rhetoric that has grown more and more mainstream as the days go on.
Responses to Kanye West’s comments have been most concerning. As one of the biggest artists of the modern generation, with one of the most infamously dedicated fan bases ever, the wave of antisemitism that West has been spreading over the course of the past two months has sent ripples throughout the media. The backlash against West has been strong—he has lost his aforementioned brand deals, and celebrities such as Lizzo, Jamie Lee Harris, and Sarah Silverman have condemned his actions, but the support that he’s gained hasn’t been quiet either.
Despite the numerous amounts of white supremacist and antisemitic protests that have risen in his name, West still has a stout group of Black followers who believe that he’s been systemically wronged in some fashion, many of whom are Black Hebrew Israelites. There has been a widespread failure amongst big-name Black artists to condemn the actions of a man who has clearly served as the catalyst to so much hate.
Kyrie Irving has also received a considerable amount of support. Following Kyrie Irving’s Twitter post, the antisemitic film that Irving promoted on his Twitter page rose to become a bestseller on Amazon. Some Black players in the NBA community criticized him for using his influence as he did, such as Richard Jefferson, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley; however, some players, such as Celtics’ All-Star Jaylen Brown, have come to his defense, calling out Joe Tsai, the Brooklyn Nets owner who played a major role in his suspension as a “hypocrite.” He stated that he did not endorse any form of antisemitism, but supported Irving’s character. Lebron James, Kyrie Irving’s former teammate of three years and one of the few current NBA players who initially condemned Irving’s actions, backtracked on some of his comments the day after Irving’s official suspension, calling the list of community-service requirements Irving had to fulfill in order to return to the NBA “excessive” on Twitter. In general, most of the reactions within the sports community have ranged from silence to defense of Irving.
Sympathy for West and Irving is, unfortunately, not uncommon— I’ve had to spend the past few weeks listening to conversations from acquaintances in which they downplay or defend the narratives that Kanye West pushes, stating that a supposed “Jewish control” of businesses and media contribute to a systematic oppression of Black people.
A lot of the hate seems to stem from frustration regarding institutionalized racism Black people have consistently faced. Much of the American entertainment industry is driven by Black people, but Black people have never been the ones “at the top” in these fields. This has historically led to the exploitation of prominent Black talents. Due to their label’s alleged mismanagement of funds, a famous R&B/Rap girl group, TLC, made such a low amount of money at their peak in the early 2000’s that some of their members had to file for bankruptcy. Other prominent Black artists, such as Megan Thee Stallion, Lil Uzi Vert, and Rich Homie Quan have also alleged that their labels have taken advantage of them, and that they have lost money as a result. It is not uncommon to hear stories of wildly popular artists being flat-broke because they lose a majority of their earnings to the labels that they’re signed to, and the stereotype of Jewish people being the individuals in control of these industries has led them to be an easy target. In situations where a Black man comes under fire and loses so much of his brand, defending him can seem easy.
Some of it also comes from the fact that many feel as if there is a double standard between how Black entertainers are treated in these scenarios compared to white people. Kanye West was rightfully banned on Twitter after he posted a picture of a swastika inside the Star of David; however, he was also seemingly the only person who has been banned from the platform for anti-semitic comments. Donald Trump welcomed Kanye West as well as a known Holocaust denier and white supremacist, Nick Fuentes, to a Mar-a-Lago dinner following their controversy. He refused to apologize for it, and recently got his account reinstated on Twitter. Majorie Taylor Greene, a member of the US House of Representatives with an extensive history of anti-semitism, also remains active on Twitter with over 1.7 million followers.
Regardless of what’s happened over the course of history, in this situation, we need to see things as they are—these narratives are problematic, and these men are not worth defending. I believe that it is possible and important for us to acknowledge the exploitation that Black people have faced in media, but it shouldn’t have to be explained doing so in a manner that purports the same stereotypes that led to a genocide of people is harmful. Jewish people are not culprits of the institutionalized racism that we have faced over the course of history, and the widespread antisemitic rhetoric being pushed is dangerous. The narratives endorsed by people like Kanye West closely mimics the propaganda that contributed to the rise of Nazi Germany.
Kyrie Irving was not suspended because he simply “posted a link.” He was suspended because he promoted a film that denied the Holocaust on his public platform with 4.7 million followers and then proceeded to double down on his statement three times on Twitter as well as in multiple interviews when given the opportunity to apologize. Kanye West is not a misunderstood genius who has been wronged, he is a conspiracy theorist who was finally punished for using his platform to spread anti-semtitic and anti-Black hate speech. He stated that slavery was a choice, threatened to go “death con 3” on Jewish people, and has associated himself with well-established anti-semites and white supremacists, such as Alex Jones and Nick Fuentes.
Antisemitism is far from a “Black” issue, but we, as people, need to be better about blindly lending our hands in support of people who use such dangerous rhetoric for the sole reason that they’re Black. ”Pro-Blackness” should not extend to caping for those of us who have made genuine, problematic mistakes. We should not be defending individuals whose messages have garnered support from the likes of Alex Jones, Candace Owens, and Tucker Carlson. It is vital that we hold each other accountable and stand up against this wave of antisemitism.
By Kailen Hicks