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Perspective: Don't give anti-Semitism a pass

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Recently, high profile African Americans, specifically Kanye West and Kyrie Irving, have been rightfully dragged in media for anti-Semitic statements. Personally, this is troubling since I am a fan of Kyrie and big fan of Kanye, well, his music that is. I get angry when folks that share histories of oppression thrust oppressive practices onto other groups.

Both Kanye and Kyrie have offered their explanations, without apology, but their points about how African Americans are routinely exploited in entertainment and sports are sensible arguments with boatloads of evidence. Their flaw though, is attaching manipulative business practices to an entire group of human beings or denying their faith as real and legitimate. A bolder approach would have been to name names, rather than denigrating an entire group. If stereotyping and false construction is wrong to do against African Americans, then it is wrong to do against anyone. One is only liberated when they abandon strategies used against them and create new ways of resolving conflict.

Our Jewish sisters and brothers have been the object of oppression and dehumanization for millennia, and despite all we know about the march toward Hitler’s final solution, some of us continue to further misrepresentations and distortions about the Jewish community and history. It is essential for the furthering of society to always embrace the humanity of others.

I do not want to play the game of trying to equivocate the struggles of the Jewish community and the African American community. There may be similarities, no doubt, but they are different histories with different contexts. The only thing that should matter is, at the end of the day, we are all human and none of us fancy being stereotyped, dehumanized, or marginalized.

I am Joseph Flynn and that is my perspective.

Joseph Flynn is the executive director for equity and inclusion in the Division of Academic Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and an associate professor of curriculum and instruction.