The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced it will install new leadership in its Philadelphia chapter after backlash over the chapter’s president sharing an anti-Semitic meme to his Facebook page.
On July 23, Philadelphia NAACP President Rodney Muhammad shared an image featuring the “Happy Merchant” depiction of a Jewish-looking man with a sinister grin and hooked nose superimposed onto a large arm crushing multiple people. The image also featured photos of Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson, actor Nick Cannon and rapper-actor Ice Cube, all of whom have made remarks and social media posts that have been criticized as anti-Semitic.
Additionally, the image had the words, “To learn who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize.” The image attributed the quote to French philosopher Voltaire but it is believed that the quote originated from neo-Nazi Kevin Alfred Strom.
The Philadelphia Tribune reported that on Aug. 20, the Philadelphia NAACP voted to disband and to let the national NAACP take it over. The national NAACP will appoint an administrator in September to facilitate the process of installing new leadership into the chapter, although it’s not yet known if the new leaders will be elected or appointed.
Muhammad issued a statement apologizing for posting the image and welcoming the national NAACP’s actions on the matter.
“I apologize for my previous post and the hurt this has caused, and I regret the insult, pain, and offense it brought to all, especially those of the Jewish community,” he said. “The coming months are critical for America, and the efforts of both the NAACP and religious communities, working together across the country, are vital for the road ahead of us.”
Jewish groups welcomed the development.
“We applaud the NAACP for removing Rodney Muhammad from his position as president of the Philadelphia chapter,” Anti-Defamation League (ADL) Philadelphia Regional Director Shira Goodman said in a statement. “The NAACP has been a longtime leader and partner in the fight against bigotry, and today’s actions honor the organization’s storied history and mission.
“While the last few weeks have certainly been challenging, we have been inspired by the support of our friends and allies of all backgrounds and beliefs who came together to condemn hate. We thank the elected officials, faith leaders, civil rights partners and community members who demonstrated moral leadership and courage in rejecting Mr. Muhammad’s antisemitic post.”
ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted, “Credit to Executive Committee of Philly NAACP & National @NAACP for taking action here. We hope this will enable new opportunities for collaboration as the local Black & Jewish communities can do more to fight against hate & push for dignity of all people.”
Credit to Executive Committee of Philly NAACP & National @NAACP for taking action here. We hope this will enable new opportunities for collaboration as the local Black & Jewish communities can do more to fight against hate & push for dignity of all people. https://t.co/gydKT7s422
— Jonathan Greenblatt (@JGreenblattADL) August 26, 2020
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia similarly applauded the development.
“This has been a painful period in the long-standing and exceptional relationship between the Black and Jewish communities,” Steve Rosenberg, the Federation chapter’s chief operating officer, said in a statement. “The NAACP is a pre-eminent civil rights organization, and we are grateful to both the local branch and the national office for taking steps to address this situation and promote healing. We look forward to working with the NAACP to forge closer bonds with our two communities to address systemic racism and bigotry of all kinds.”
Updated statement on Rodney Muhammad pic.twitter.com/JtUXmEkLQR
— Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia (@JFedinPhilly) August 26, 2020
Bryan Leib, director of the newly formed Jewish millennial group HaShevet, tweeted, “Actions have consequences. I applaud the Jewish community in Philadelphia for standing firm on this issue and I thank the Black community for standing with us. The @JFedinPhilly has shown the entire Jewish community what strong leadership in our community looks like. Bravo!”
Actions have consequences. I applaud the Jewish community in Philadelphia for standing firm on this issue and I thank the Black community for standing with us. The @JFedinPhilly has shown the entire Jewish community what strong leadership in our community looks like. Bravo! https://t.co/BS2dVcyeEq
— Bryan E. Leib (@BryanLeibFL) August 26, 2020
Several individuals and groups, including Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, a Democrat, had called for Muhammad to either resign or be removed from his position for sharing the image. Muhammad had initially addressed the matter in a July 27 statement saying that he was unaware of the image’s offensive content and took it down when he did.
“The NAACP strongly condemns any offensive language or imagery and stands against all forms of hate speech and anti-Semitism,” he said at the time. “I stand with all members of the Jewish faith in the fight for social justice, and I intend to use this opportunity for thoughtful conversations with both the Black and Jewish communities.”
The national NAACP had said in an Aug. 5 statement that the NAACP is disappointed with Muhammad but he now understands “the offensive nature of the imagery and post. Hate speech has no place at the NAACP, and such language and imagery are reprehensible.”
