Jack Brown ‘23
Sports Editor
On October 27, NBA superstar Kyrie Irving tweeted a link to Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America. This 2018 movie, based on a book of the same name, claims to uncover “the true ethnicity of Abraham” and contains numerous antisemitic conspiracy theories, including references to the antisemitic work, “The Hidden Tyranny,” which opens with the line, “Most Jews do not like to admit it, but our god is Lucifer.”[1] The book that Hebrews to Negroes is based on goes even further, ascribing the beginning of racism against Black people to key Jewish texts, quoting the antisemitic hoax, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion,[2] and claiming that “Jewish Slave ships brought our West African negro or Bantu ancestors to slave ports owned by [Jews].”
Irving is not a stranger to promoting controversial ideas. From implying that the Earth might be flat, to publicly refusing to get vaccinated, to sharing a video of conspiracy theorist Alex Jones talking about the existence of a “New World Order,” Irving has been known for his fringe beliefs off the court almost as much as for his skills on it. In most of his previous controversies, Irving was unapologetic for his actions and views. This latest incident seems to continue this trend, with with Irving tweeting on October 29, “I am an OMNIST[3] and I meant no disrespect to anyone’s religious beliefs. The ‘Anti-Semitic’ label that is being pushed on me is not justified and does not reflect the reality or truth I live in every day. I embrace and want to learn from all walks of life and religions.”
Later that day, at a post-game press conference, Irving was asked about both the video of Alex Jones he had shared six weeks prior and Hebrews to Negroes. During his exchanges with reporters, Irving took issue with the idea that he was promoting the book by putting it up on his Twitter and Instagram, stating that while he did not at all support Alex Jones’s actions surrounding Sandy Hook, he agreed with the substance of the Jones video that he posted. When asked what his thoughts were on his team’s owner condemning his sharing of the movie, Irving responded, “[O]ut of all the judgment that people got from me posting . . . without talking to me . . . I respect what Joe [Tsai] said, but there has a lot to do with the—not ego or pride of how proud I am to be an [sic] African heritage—but also to be living as a free Black man here in America, knowing the historical complexities for me to get here.”
Irving then continued by stating, “So, I’m not going to stand down on anything that I believe in. I’m only going to get stronger because I’m not alone. I have a whole army around me.”
The promotion of antisemitic material by Kyrie Irving is not an isolated incident. Earlier this month, Kanye West tweeted, “I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con [sic] 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE.” 2021 had 2,717 reported incidents of antisemitic behavior, the highest number of incidents recorded by the Anti-Defamation League in the last forty years. Since 2016, the ADL has measured a consistent increase in antisemitic incidents, which had been declining over the preceding fifteen years.[4]
While the rise in antisemitic events does not have only one cause, rhetoric by high-profile figures like Kyrie Irving and Kanye West is certain to exacerbate the problem. The two possess massive audiences and have cultivated very dedicated online followings, who can be found defending Irving and West’s views all over social media. Social scientists have long agreed that for attacks to happen against an entire class of people, there first needs to be a campaign of hateful misinformation to prime populations, moving them towards violence.[5] In Germany, Rwanda, Yugoslavia, and other sites of genocide throughout human history, spokespeople of hatred have always preceded the beginning of the physical violence.
Whether or not Irving’s tweets were sent with knowledge of the part they could play in normalizing violence against Jewish people, the fact remains that this behavior needs to be forcefully rebuked. While Irving sees no issue with sharing the movie—responding to a question regarding whether he understood that many saw the movie as antisemitic with, “It’s on Amazon, a public platform. Whether you want to go watch it or not is up to you”—sharing this movie with over ten million people is not an action that should be minimized. The responsibility for promoting those ideas to the public falls on him and him alone.[6]
---
jwb4bb@virginia.edu
[1] “The Hidden Tyranny” is a booklet, published in 1978, that has become a staple of antisemitic literature due to its purported interview with a Jewish American, Harold Wallace Rosenthal, where Rosenthal admits to there being a Jewish conspiracy to take over the world. This interview did not happen, with even Tom Metzger, founder of the White Aryan Resistance, admitting that the entire meeting was fabricated.
[2] “Using control of our money and the Mass Media, the European Jews gained control of our thinking.”
[3] Definition of omnist: “one that believes in all religions.”
[4] William Brangham & Rachel Wellford, PBS Newshour, Antisemitic incidents hit a record high in 2021. What’s behind the rise in hate? (Apr. 29, 2022).
[5] Alison Des Forges, “Leave None to Tell the Story”: Genocide in Rwanda (Human Rights Watch, 1999).
[6] There is an interesting discussion to be had about the role tech companies play by hosting content like Hebrews to Negroes. That is outside the scope of this article.