There was a 56% increase in the number of people who signed our petition this weekend. And it is because of you. 

I spent time last Saturday at the Cherry Hill Mall meeting people and asking them to sign the petition. Like you, many people embraced the need to ‘Stop the illegal exclusion of Black People from the Jewish Holocaust History in New Jersey’ and signed the petition. There was one exception.

A Caucasian man walked up to my table and disagreed that this was a good petition. He went on to say that the Jewish Museums include the Jim Crow Laws to indicate their sensitivity to the plight of our African American ancestors. 

Of course, I disagreed with him and told him that the petition has a focus on the involvement of Black people in the Jewish Holocaust. I went on to say that the Jim Crow Laws outline how African Americans were unfairly treated and discriminated on by Southern Whites. 

He next made a reference to statements made by Kanye West and Kyrie Irving. I responded by telling him that if those two had know of the involvement of African Americans in the Jewish Holocaust, maybe they would not have made those statements. 

Since many people do not know of the African American involvement they are misinformed. Additionally, when many people begin their research and find the many omissions, it could lead them to feel that they have been misled by the information surrounding the Jewish Holocaust and respond in a negative manner because the total truth has been withheld.

He then called me antisemitic. I assume that he thought that I was going to get angry. That is an old trick. It is like when someone calls you the ‘n-word or says’, ‘your mama’. You may find yourself getting the same response and need to remember that to be antisemitic means that you are hostile to or prejudiced against Jewish people.  

However, this petition, is not focused on antisemitism but focuses on including how Black people suffered with the Jews and how Black people had a positive contribution to the entire experience. 

Please continue to share the petition and make a positive contribution that results in Black Learners Matter Too.