The current controversy around rapper/designer Kanye West, basketball player Kyrie Irving and now comedian Dave Chappelle is characteristically creating more proverbial heat than light. (1) The allegation of “antisemitism”, like that being levelled at them, consistently precludes analysis or reasoned debate.
As far as Afrikans in the USA are concerned, it’s a charge that has deep roots. For decades the “Farrakhan Litmus Test” where prominent Afrikans are compelled to denounce and repudiate the Nation Of Islam leader to gain entry into acceptable society has been in existence. (2) This attempt to tie-in Black political and thought leadership was buttressed in the early 1990s when Henry Louis Gates was recruited to besmirch the growing Afrocetric movement as (anti-semitic) “Black Demagogues and Pseudo-Scholars.” (3) Indeed, the campaign against one of their number, renowned Garvey scholar Dr Tony Martin, even reached the UK. (4)
Kanye West who is at the head of this “anti-semitic” firestorm is no stranger to inflammatory comments. Back in October, he saw his net worth “obliterated” after a “weeks-long barrage of antisemitic remarks made on social media and in national media appearances.” (5) Nevertheless, journalist Ernest Owens summed up the feeling of many within the community about companies that previously refused to “neither comment nor speculate” on his antics:
“Before Kanye West was “the face of Anti-Semitism,” he was one of the hip-hop faces of misogynoir, anti-Blackness, Trumpism, and slavery-denial… And y’all still gave him contracts, documentaries, endorsements, clothing deals, and millions that became billions. Shame.” (6)
The punishment meted out to Kyrie Irving for merely posting a link to a film available to buy or rent on Amazon is tantamount to “thoughtcrime,” i.e. sentiments deemed socially unacceptable or criminal to the (repressive) authorities, as described by George Orwell in the novel 1984. (7) Yet other suggest that he’s really being targeted for his “anti-vax” stance. (8) We also can’t rule out payback for his millions in philanthropic donations for community causes like victims of police murders, Black college students and women’s basketball. (9)
The film in question, Hebrews To Negroes: Wake Up Black America, faces accusations of anti-semitism and holocaust denial. Irving’s sharing of the link led to his suspension, lost sponsorship and a veritable laundry list of conditions to meet – in spite of his clear disavowal of the films more “questionable” elements. (10):
- Apologize and condemn the film he promoted
- Make a $500,000 donation to anti-hate causes
- Complete sensitivity training
- Complete anti-semetism training
- Meet with the ADL and Jewish leaders
- Meet with team owner Joe Tsai to demonstrate an understanding of the situation. (11)
His suspension was lifted after he issued a second apology and Irving helped his team to victory in his firm game back. (12)
In a classic case of the ‘Streisand Effect’ gone mad, sales of the previously little-known film “continue to skyrocket.” So while his company continues to profit from the controversy, multi-billionaire Jeff Bezos has taken a fraction of the heat that Kyrie Irving has. (13) Typically, the furore has not ignited substantive analysis into the film’s content, in contrast to protests against racist assaults on Black sensibilities that leave Afrikans often accused of “playing the victim.” (14) Those indifferent to Black suffering ever more frequently employ the ‘white fear’ (or ‘white rage’) narrative that they assert makes them “victims of racism” to the extent that now “whites believe they are victims of racism more often than Blacks.”(15)
For his part comedian Dave Chappelle weighed in with a monologue on the Saturday Night Live TV show on November 12th that The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organisation with a long history of agitating against Black organisations, leaders and personalities, accused him of “normalizing and popularizing antisemitism.” (16)
Five and a half decades ago writer James Baldwin wrote an essay entitled Negroes Are Anti-Semetic Because They Are Anti-White. Beyond the shock value of the title, it is essentially an examination of whiteness and who it includes. (17) His assertion is not far removed from that expressed by broadcaster Whoopi Goldberg earlier this year. But her claim that the Nazi holocaust was between “two white groups of people” earned her a suspension. (18)
Consequently, for this narrative to work it requires a sense of constant imminent mortal danger for the entire group, for which Afrikans, even without state power or cultural leverage are cast as a predominant threat. (19) However, Max Blumenthal, journalist and founder and editor of The Grayzone offers a different perspective:
“We White American Jews are living through a golden age of power, affluence and safety… Acceptance of this welcome reality threatens the entire Zionist enterprise, from lobby fronts like the ADL to the State of Israel, because Zionism relies on Jewish insecurity to justify itself” (20)
The Most Eminent Prophet and King His Excellency, Marcus Mosiah Garvey proclaimed that we should “never allow an insult propagated [against the race] to go unanswered by you.” (21) If nothing else, this situation highlights the extent to others can adhere to this maxim (whether real or imagined) while we struggle to do likewise.
(1) Avi Shemtov (17/11/22) An Open Letter to Kanye West, Kyrie Irving and Dave Chappelle https://www.jewishboston.com/read/an-open-letter-to-kanye-west-kyrie-irving-and-dave-chappelle/
(2) Askia Muhammad (2018) How to Pass the ‘Farrakhan Litmus Test’. https://www.washingtoninformer.com/muhammad-how-to-pass-the-farrakhan-litmus-test/
(3) John Henrik Clarke (1992) A Dissenting View, response to Henry Louis Gates’ Black Demagogues and Pseudo Scholars. https://www.livefromplanetearth.org/2008/06/dissenting-view-by-john-henrik-clarke.html;
Eunice G. Pollack (01/06/22) Black Antisemitism in America: Past and Present. https://www.inss.org.il/publication/black-antisemitism/
(5) Lisette Voytko (25/10/22) Billionaire No More: Kanye West’s Antisemitism Obliterates His Net Worth As Adidas Cuts Ties. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2022/10/25/billionaire-no-more-kanye-wests-anti-semitism-obliterates-his-net-worth-as-adidas-cuts-ties/?sh=637bc4f517e7; Remy Tumin (01/11/22) Kanye West Faces Costly Fallout: A Timeline. https://www.nytimes.com/article/kanye-west-timeline.html
(6) Lisa Respers France (31/10/22) Kanye West’s antisemitism did what his anti-Blackness did not. And some people have a problem with that. https://edition.cnn.com/2022/10/29/entertainment/kanye-west-antisemitism-anti-black/index.html; Hilary Weaver (03/05/18) Adidas Avoids Criticizing Kanye West for His Slavery Remarks. https://www.vanityfair.com/style/2018/05/adidas-avoids-commenting-on-kanye-remarks
(7) Wil Leitner (16/11/22) Jason Whitlock Says the NBA is Trying to Smear Kyrie Irving’s Reputation. https://www.binnews.com/content/2022-11-16-jason-whitlock-says-the-nba-is-trying-to-smear-kyrie-irvings-reputation/; Shivani Dadhwal (05/03/20) Thoughtcrime: The Parallels Between 1984 and 2020. https://dubeat.com/2020/03/thoughtcrime-the-parallels-between-1984-and-2020/
(8) Kyle Becker (06/11/22) Kyrie Irving’s worst thought crime of all was being black and unvaccinated https://twitter.com/kylenabecker/status/1588816346309328898
(9) Ananth.Narasimman (08/11/22) 5 times when NBA’s vaccine rebel Kyrie Irving gave back to the society. https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/5-times-nba-s-vaccine-rebel-kyrie-irving-gave-back-society; Aaron Mansfield (27/08/20) A History of Kyrie Irving’s Social Justice Activism. https://www.complex.com/sports/kyrie-irving-social-justice-activism-history
(10) ESPN (03/11/22) Kyrie Irving: I can dismiss any label you put on me | SportsCenter. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_aakf4_gEHU
(11) Jasmyn Wimbish (07/11/22) Nets give Kyrie Irving six requirements to fulfill before he can return from suspension, per report. https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nets-give-kyrie-irving-six-requirements-to-fulfill-before-he-can-return-from-suspension-per-report/
(12) Lisa Cabrera (21/11/22) Kyrie Irvings Suspension Lifted 1 Hour After His Second Apology. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZfylDCPEobI; BBC (21/11/22) NBA: Kyrie Irving helps Brooklyn Nets beat Memphis Grizzlies 127-115 on return from suspension. https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/basketball/63699344
(13) Jacob Gurvis and Gabe Friedman (03/11/22) Kyrie Irving updates: Amazon sales of antisemitic film continue to skyrocket. https://www.jta.org/2022/11/03/sports/kyrie-irving-was-asked-if-hes-antisemitic-he-didnt-say-no; Naveed Saleh (20/12/19) Understanding the Streisand Effect. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-red-light-district/201912/understanding-the-streisand-effect
(14) Michael Harriot (02/05/18) Top 10 Ways Black People Keep Racism Alive, According to Wypipo. https://racism.org/articles/defining-racism/2073-top-10-ways-black-people-keep?showall=1
(15) Media Relations (23/05/11) Whites Believe They Are Victims of Racism More Often Than Blacks. https://now.tufts.edu/2011/05/23/whites-believe-they-are-victims-racism-more-often-blacks
(16) Saturday Night Live (13/11/22) f https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_m-gO0HSCYk;Historical Research Department Of The Nation Of Islam (2010) The Secret Relationship Between Blacks & Jews Vol. 2. How Jews Gained Control Over The Black American Economy. Nation Of Islam. p. x; Mary Papenfuss (14/11/22) Anti-Defamation League Slams Dave Chappelle’s ‘SNL’ Appearance. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/dave-chappelle-adl-antisemitism-saturday-night-live_n_6371b0cbe4b0ca9acf25f477
(17) James Baldwin (1985) Negroes Are Anti-Semetic Because They Are Anti-White in The Price Of The Ticket: Collected Non-Fiction 1948-1985. Michael Joseph. p. 425-433
(18) Jenny Gross and Neil Vigdor (01/02/22) ABC Suspends Whoopi Goldberg Over Holocaust Comments. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/01/us/whoopi-goldberg-holocaust.html; Bad Faith (14/02/22) CANCELLING Whoopi for Racism w/ Batya Ungar-Sargon & Thomas Chatterton Williams. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjZc22AyB6o
(19) Henry Louis Gates Jr. (20/07/92) Black Demagogues and Pseudo-Scholars. https://www.abibitumi.com/wp-content/uploads/ppMigration/43182=1863-A%20Dissenting%20View%20JHCLARKE.pdf; Pollack. Op. cit.
(20) Michael Starr (06/11/22) ADL creates ‘more antisemitism,’ divides Jews, black people -Candace Owens. https://www.jpost.com/diaspora/article-721591; Max Blumenthal (04/11/22) https://twitter.com/maxblumenthal/status/1588637273478029312
(21) Marcus Garvey, Tony Martin (Ed.) (1988) Message To The People: Course of African Philosophy (The New Marcus Garvey Library ; No. 7). The Majority Press. p. 129
we ask the question:
Are WE the face of HATE?
1) Have you seen “Hebrews To Negroes”? What did you think?
2) Who determines whether Kanye West’s actions are sanctioned or not?
3) Is Kyrie Irving really a victim of “thoughtcrime”?
4) Is there agenda to humiliate Afrikan manhood?
Our very special guests:
Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka: Resident guest who is Spiritual Leader of the Alkebu-Lan Revivalist Movement and an Afrikan-Centered Education Consultant. Bro. Ldr is a veteran activist of nearly 40 years standing, a featured columnist in The Whirlwind newspaper and author of Mosiah Daily Affirmations and Education: An African-Centred Approach To Excellence.
Bro. ShakaRa Mbandaka: the son of Bro. Ldr. Mbandaka, Father, Partner, Universal Afrikan Nationalist, Organiser, Spoken Word Activist, Writer, Cultural Scientist, Educator, Sema Tawi (ShakaRaSpeaks.com).