House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) reportedly defended his uncle, Leonard Jeffries, and Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan in a 1992 college editorial at a time when they were both accused of making antisemitic statements. Jeffries has previously said he didn鈥檛 know much about the controversies surrounding his uncle鈥檚 comments.
CNN鈥檚 KFILE investigative team on April 12 that Leonard Jeffries had said during a speech at a 1991 Empire State Black Arts and Cultural Festival in Albany, NY that there is a Hollywood 鈥渃onspiracy鈥� to disparage Black people and it鈥檚 being carried out 鈥渂y people called Greenberg and Weisberg and Trigliani.鈥� Leonard, then a City College of New York (CCNY) professor and chairman of its African American Studies Department, also said during the speech that 鈥淩ussian Jewry had a particular control over the movies, and their financial partners, the Mafia, put together a financial system of destruction of black people鈥� and that CCNY, which is under the City University of New York (CUNY) umbrella, subsequently terminated Leonard from the school. Farrakhan, by that time, had already to Adolf Hitler as a 鈥渧ery great man鈥� and calling Judaism a 鈥済utter religion鈥� in the 1980s.
CNN unearthed an from Jeffries in The Vanguard, the Black Student Union (BSU) newspaper at Binghamton University, where he defended the BSU鈥檚 decision to invite his uncle to speak on campus. 鈥淒r. Leonard Jeffries and Minister Louis Farrakhan have come under intense fire,鈥� Jeffries, a board member for BSU, wrote. 鈥淲here do you think their interests lie? Dr. Jeffries has challenged the existing white supremist educational system and long standing distortion of history. His reward has been a media lynching complete with character assassinations and inflammatory erroneous accusations.鈥� He added: 鈥淐larence Thomas was appointed by George Bush to the highest court in the nation. Colin Powell was appointed by George Bush to lead the military establishment 鈥榩olicemen of the Wall Street Bankers,鈥� in the words of Cesar Agusto Sandino. Where do you think their interests lie?鈥�
When various media outlets have previously asked about his uncle鈥檚 views, Jeffries claimed to have had a 鈥渧ague recollection鈥� over them. 鈥淢y mother made a very deliberate concerted effort to shield us from a lot of the controversy that took place,鈥� he in 2013. 鈥淪he didn鈥檛 want us to be distracted from our studies. My grandmother on my mother鈥檚 side always emphasized the importance of doing well in school and remaining focused. And so when a lot of the controversy took place and my brother and I were away at school. There was no Internet during that era and I can鈥檛 even recall a daily newspaper in the Binghamton, N.Y., area but it wasn鈥檛 covering the things that the New York Post and Daily 91传媒 were at the time.鈥�
A spokesperson from Jeffries鈥� office told CNN, 鈥淟eader Jeffries has consistently been clear that he does not share the controversial views espoused by his uncle over thirty years ago.鈥�
Republican 91传媒 Coalition National Chairman Norm Coleman and CEO Matt Brooks said in a statement, 鈥淢inority Leader Hakeem Jeffries owes the 91传媒 community an explanation as to why he lied and attempted to cover up his defense of these revolting antisemites. The added hypocrisy here is particularly jarring:聽, but he鈥檚 been exposed as defending antisemites who have said Hitler was a 鈥榞reat man鈥� and called Judaism a 鈥榙irty religion.鈥� Unfortunately, this is yet another disturbing data point of the Democratic Party embracing and promoting antisemites, from Leonard Jeffries and Louis Farrakhan to聽.鈥�
House Minority Leader owes the 91传媒 community an explanation as to why he lied and attempted to cover up his defense of his antisemite uncle and notorious bigot Louis Farrakhan.
Full release:
— RJC (@RJC)
The 91传媒 Democratic Council of America defended Jeffries in a tweet, calling him 鈥渁n unwavering partner of the 91传媒 American community and ally of Israel in Congress.鈥� 鈥淲e are grateful for his leadership defending democracy, fighting antisemitism and right-wing extremism, and standing with Israel,鈥� they added. 鈥淗is long record in Congress on these issues is beyond reproach and we condemn any assertions to the contrary. We are proud to call him a friend.鈥�
Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries has been an unwavering partner of the 91传媒 American community and ally of Israel in Congress.
We are grateful for his leadership defending democracy, fighting antisemitism and right-wing extremism, and standing with Israel.
His long record in鈥�
— 91传媒 Dems (@US91传媒Dems)
Jeffries鈥� 1992 op-ed defending his uncle and Farrakhan was titled 鈥淭he Black Conservative Phenomenon,鈥� where Jeffries compared Black conservatives to pointing his ire at Thomas, Powell and Shelby Steele. Toward the end of the piece, Jeffries does say that he doesn鈥檛 want to restrict 鈥淏lack political thought鈥� and encouraged Black Americans to 鈥渆valuate, critically, the Black conservative phenomenon.鈥�
When asked by if he stands by what he wrote in the 1992 op-ed about Black conservatives, a spokesperson from Jeffries鈥� office replied: 鈥淟eader Jeffries has consistently been clear that he does not share the controversial views espoused by his uncle over thirty years ago. Leader Jeffries has been in public service for more than 16 years as a state legislator and Member of Congress. His track record of bringing communities together and standing up for everyone speaks for itself.鈥�
This article has been updated.
