Alice Walker Cancelled to speak at Commencement Ceremony due to Accusations of Antisemitism

By Lomie Blum, News Editor 

Alice Walker, Pulitzer Prize-winning author and activist, best known for the legendary novel, The Color Purple, was scheduled to speak at Hudson Valley Community College’s commencement ceremony. However, due to promoting antisemitic ideas, Ms. Walker’s appearance has been canceled. 

The well-known writer has also written “The Temple of Familiar,” “Meridian” and “Processing the Secret of Joy” among several short stories and poems. 

Walker is a figure in the civil rights movement. Walker marched in Washington along with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963. She was an editor for the seminal feminist magazine, “Ms.” She coined the term “womanism” and discovered the grave of influential black anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, bringing her back into public attention.

In a New York Times interview in 2018, Walker alluded to and praised antisemitic writer David Icke’s book And the Truth Will Set You Free. Icke is best known for promoting conspiracy theories that suggest the Holocaust was fabricated, that Jews run the world and that Jews are “lizard people.”

Walker showed admiration for Icke saying that he was “a curious person’s dream come true.”

Walker’s statements regarding Icke were controversial, so she received swift backlash, criticism and accusations of antisemitism. 

Walker later released a statement regarding her comments on Icke on her website. 

“I do not believe he is antisemitic or anti-Jewish. I do believe he is brave enough to ask the questions others fear to ask and to speak his own understanding of the truth wherever it might lead,” Walker said. 

“Many attempts have been made to censor and silence him. As a woman and a person of color, as a writer who has been criticized and banned myself, I support his right to share his own thoughts,” Walker added. 

Amidst the backlash, Walker faced further criticism for her 2017 poem, “It is Our (Frightful) Duty to Study the Talmud.”  

The Talmud is a Jewish religious text commenting on the Torah, law, and theology. Nowadays, the Talmud is studied mostly by Rabbis. The Talmud is also often twisted and misinterpreted by antisemites saying that it promotes pedophilia and drinking children’s blood.  

In this poem, Walker perpetuates harmful Jewish stereotypes as well as trying to “educate” Jews on concepts such as “dignity.”  

Walker writes in the poem “are Goyim (us) meant to be slaves of Jews, and not only/that, but to enjoy it?/are three years old (and a day) girls eligible for marriage and intercourse?/are young boys fair game for rape?/must even the best of the Goyim (us, again) be killed?/pause a moment and think what this could mean/or already has meant/in our own lifetime.” 

Walker is also heavily critical of Israel calling it “demonic” due to the ongoing conflict with Palestine. Walker even opposes the idea of publishing “The Color Purple” in Hebrew. 

It was recently announced that Walker was going to be a guest speaker at HVCC’s 2021 commencement ceremony. 

After the announcement, HVCC received various calls and emails due to Walker’s accused antisemitic past. 

Coordinator of Cultural Affairs and student activities, Maria Zemantauski stated that the decision was made before being at HVCC. 

“Alice Walker’s invitation to be our commencement speaker was a decision made by the commencement committee prior to my involvement with the committee or the planning process,” Zemantauski said. 

HVCC’s Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, Dennis Kennedy spoke on canceling Walker’s appearance saying that it would be too “distracting.” 

“Hudson Valley Community College regularly sponsors high-profile speakers, artists and activists to broaden perspectives and foster the discussion of complex ideas. In that spirit, we invited author and activist Alice Walker to deliver remarks as part of the college’s 2021 virtual commencement celebration,” Kennedy said. 

“However, since we announced her involvement with this event, members of our community have expressed concerns about comments Ms. Walker made in a 2018 “New York Times” article that many consider controversial,” Kennedy stated. 

“Though we recognize Ms. Walker’s valuable contributions to literature, education and civil rights, it has become clear that this situation is distracting from what should be a meaningful celebration of our students’ achievements. Therefore, we have declined to have her participate in commencement activities at this time,” Kennedy added. 

Zion Sherin, a former HVCC student senate president discussed his thoughts on Walker and separating the art from the artist, while still holding those accountable. 

“As a recent alumnus of Hudson Valley Community College, I have never been more proud of my school as they have decided to recognize antisemitism and make the appropriate decision to cancel her participation in the HVCC graduation ceremony,” Sherin said. 

“I believe that in situations like these, it’s essential to separate the artist from their work and to read her works may be appropriate, but to allow her to speak would be indicating that the school looks up to her in some form and allowing the start of a person’s post-college life to start that way is not okay. I believe the university made the right call,” Sherin added. 

Alice Walker has been a dividing question in the Jewish community specifically for black Jews. 

Often, black Jewish activists point out that the white Jewish community exaggerates instances of black antisemitism. 

In a New York magazine article discussing Walker written by a black Jewish writer, Nylah Burton, Burton talks about her conflict regarding Walker. 

“I spoke to a [another] black Jewish woman who said that Alice Walker’s antisemitic “trolling” needed to be called out, but also that Walker was “a monster of [the white Jewish community’s] own making.” She warned that a failure to address such racism would push more people — notably, Jews of color — to this extreme. I believe this; I’ve already reported on the ways that racism was pushing black Jews away from the community,” Burton writes. 

Antisemitism has been on the rise over the years. According to polling by the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), 59 percent of Jews less safe in the US than they were only a decade ago. According to the same polling, 63 percent of American Jews have been attacked for their Judaism and/or witnessed antisemitism.

Often on both sides of the political aisle Jews feel used or underrepresented. 

When President Donald J. Trump made Jerusalem the capital of Israel, many Jews reported that they felt it was not for their needs but instead to attract conservative evangelical Christians who believe Christ will return to Israel. 

 Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia denied the Holocaust, perpetuated conspiracy theories that Jews caused the California forest fires through lasers, and that Israeli Intelligence killed President John F. Kennedy. 199 Republicans voted against a measure to remove Rep. Greene from House Committees. However, the measure did end up being successful with 11 Republicans joining Democrats. 

On the left figures like Representatives Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have faced criticism for controversial remarks on Israel. Most notably when Rep. Omar stated that the US’s involvement with Israel was “all about the Benjamins baby.” 

Troy-born author, comedian and leftist David Brodeil of the book “Jews don’t Count” discusses how Jews are often left out of conversations on the left regarding social issues. 

Brodeil writes “when people talk about antisemitism, what they tend to mean is an active process. They mean a specific targeted attack, such as Nazis or white supremacists describing Jews as vermin or being responsible for all the world’s evil. Antisemitism, in most people’s minds, puts Jews right in the middle of the sniper’s sights.

“But what I’ve tried to outline here is a few examples of the opposite: of absences. Of something–a concern, a protectiveness, a championing, a cry for increased visibility, whatever it might be–not being applied to Jews,” Brodeil adds. 

Brodeil also points out in his book how during a 2019 London production of “The Color Purple” musical, a cast member who made homophobic comments was fired while there was not even a statement regarding Alice Walker’s antisemitism. 

Sherin also talks about including Jews in activism as being vital in civil rights. 

“Although there is no doubt that Alice Walker is a fantastic writer and her works add a lot to literature in general, her past statements are very concerning. Her work as an activist is noted; however, it’s essential to include all oppressed groups in activism and her apparent antisemitism is unacceptable,” Sherin said. 

HVCC’s commencement will continue without Walker and will be held virtually and in-person on May 15. 

“We are so proud of all of our graduates, who have demonstrated an exceptional commitment to their studies and persevered through unprecedented events during their time as students. We are excited to celebrate our students’ many accomplishments and wish them well as they move forward to new opportunities,” Dennis Kennedy said in a statement.