Breakdown of Hostilities: Louis and Belize

References in Act 3 Scene 2

Louis attempts to argue that “most black people are anti-Semitic.” Belize momentarily thinks about lashing back with the implied statement that “most Jews are racist,” but is cut off.

To prove his point, Louis throws the name, “Louis Farrakhan” back in Belize’s face.

Louis Farrakhan (Sr.) is an American religious leader, African-American activist, and social commentator. He was born inThe Bronx, New York City, NY in 1933. He has made numerous anti-Semitic statements.

His beliefs: “Jews are collectively responsible for inhibiting upward mobility in the African-American community, conducting the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and even being responsible for the rise of the Ku Klux Klan in the early 20th century” (Anti-Defamation League).

For more on his anti-semitic views in as recently as 2017: https://www.adl.org/blog/louis-farrakhan-renews-his-anti-jewish-views-in-2017

Belize then responds with “Ed Koch” an example of the Jewish, three-term mayor of New York City. While mayor, three major “racially charged episodes sprang up on his watch: the 1984 shooting death of a 66-year-old black woman, Eleanor Bumpurs, by a white police officer during an eviction; the 1986 beating of three black men by a white gang in Howard Beach, Queens; the shooting death of Yusuf K. Hawkins by white youths weeks before the 1989 election. Despite his condemnation of the mob beatings, it was hard to tamp down a sense among blacks that his public rhetoric may have helped foster an atmosphere in which some young whites felt emboldened to commit such assaults” (NYTimes appraisal of Ed Koch). http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/nyregion/so-how-did-mayor-koch-do.html

Louis’ final response to Belize is “Jesse Jackson”.

In 1988 Jesse Jackson, an African-American politician, civil rights activist and Baptist minister, ran a campaign for President of the United States.

Ed Koch said that “Jews would be “crazy” to vote for Jesse Jackson because of his ‘Hymietown’ slur about New York and his support for a Palestinian homeland.” (NYTimes)

The “Hymietown” slur refers to Jesse Jackson’s use of the word “hymie” and the word “hymietown” to refer respectively to Jews and New York City. (‘Hymie’ is a derogatory word for Jewish people). “Jackson said he made the remarks in private and was “overheard” by reporters. Others say Jackson made the remarks while bantering with Washington Post reporter Milton Coleman and one other journalist, possibly from The New York Times” (The Harvard Crimson).

Despite this slur against the Jewish community, Belize points out that Louis voted for him anyway and sent checks to the Rainbow Coalition.

The Rainbow Coalition, active in the 1960s and 1970s, was a coalition aimed at uniting various forms of dissent into one political body. “It was associated with the rising Black Power movement, which mobilized some African-American discontent and activism by other ethnic minority groups after the passage of the mid-1960s civil rights legislation under Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson.” (Wikipedia)

At the 1984 Democratic National Convention Address, Jesse Jackson gave, what became known as, the ‘Rainbow Coalition’ speech:

“The Rainbow Coalition is making room for Arab Americans. They, too, know the pain and hurt of racial and religious rejection. They must not continue to be made pariahs. The Rainbow Coalition is making room for Hispanic Americans who this very night are living under the threat of the Simpson-Mazzoli bill; and farm workers from Ohio who are fighting the Campbell Soup Company with a boycott to achieve legitimate workers’ rights. The Rainbow is making room for the Native American, the most exploited people of all, a people with the greatest moral claim amongst us. We support them as they seek the restoration of their ancient land and claim amongst us. We support them as they seek the restoration of land and water rights, as they seek to preserve their ancestral homeland and the beauty of a land that was once all theirs. They can never receive a fair share for all they have given us. They must finally have a fair chance to develop their great resources and to preserve their people and their culture. The Rainbow Coalition includes Asian Americans, now being killed in our streets — scapegoats for the failures of corporate, industrial, and economic policies.” (American Rhetoric Speeches)