With antisemitism raging, American actress, singer and dancer Kat Graham has published the following emotional post on Instagram:
This is a really important post. Firstly, it seeks to bridge the gap between the Jewish and Black communities, a gap that has widened thanks to the likes of Kanye West, Kyrie Irving and the godfather of Black antisemitism who has no doubt influenced them – Louis Farrakhan.
Secondly, Kat is showing her immense Jewish pride, no doubt inspiring so many of her Jewish fans who might have been inclined to slink in to a corner.
But more than that, she is not just attacking a certain type of antisemitism. She has put Israel front and center in her post.
I see my grandmother hiding under the stairs as a child, as Nazis stomped through her house to drag her off to a concentration camp. I see my father being stopped by a police officer for driving a nice car, sitting beside a white woman, my mom. I see my nieces and nephews hiding in bomb shelters in Israel. I see my grandfather lined up on the beach to be shot, having to flee for his life. I see genocide and war. I see the worst of it. I KNOW the worst of it because that is what my family has endured.
I cannot stress enough how important this is. We have seen far too many celebrities – Jewish and non-Jewish alike – attack a certain type of antisemitism, and at best leave the door open for the claim that anti-Zionism is not antisemitism and at worst themselves disseminate libels against the Jewish state. Here, Kat is proudly displaying her pro-Israel bona fides and showing how terrorism against Israelis is a manifestation of modern-day antisemitism.
While many of you might not have heard of Kat Graham, that does not matter. She has 7.8 million followers on Instagram and millions more fans around the world. She is using that platform to spread a truth that has become increasingly unpopular thanks to the likes of the Hadids of the world.
We need more celebrities like Kat Graham. Stat.
