A New York Times op-ed is being ripped on social media for its positive portrayal of Louis Farrakhan, with the writer accused of failing to mention Farrakhan’s long record of anti-Semitic comments.
“Just over 25 years ago, Louis Farrakhan, the head of the Nation of Islam, realized he needed help in his quixotic quest to summon a million Black men to the National Mall,” begins the Saturday piece by Natalie Hopkinson, an associate professor in Howard University’s Department of Communication, Culture and Media Studies.
“Amid critiques that the Million Man March was exclusionary and sexist, [Farrakhan] took the advice of the women. They then rolled up their sleeves and supported the effort,” it reads at another point.
Farrakhan’s history of anti-Semitism is never mentioned in the piece, drawing howls on social media, including from former New York Times columnist Bari Weiss.
The Hill has reached out to the New York Times for comment.
Hopkinson fired back on Twitter on Sunday, arguing that people “who have become white should not be lecturing Black ppl about oppression,” comments that themselves drew more criticism.
The op-ed was timed to mark the 25th anniversary of the Million Man March in Washington D.C. where Farrakhan delivered the keynote address.