The Black Hebrew Israelites have taken to the streets of Brooklyn in the wake of Kyrie Irving’s return to the Brooklyn Nets.
The Nets reinstated Irving on Sunday ahead of Sunday night’s game between the Nets and Memphis Grizzlies. Once Irving’s return was announced, a swarm of Black Hebrew Israelites organized a march on the streets where they shouted a chant announcing themselves as the real Jewish community.
“We are the real Jews. And that’s the good news,” the group chanted.
Video shows the Black Hebrew Israelites marching in unison while chanting en route to the Nets’ home at the Barclays Center.
The group donned purple and gold attire while standing outside the Barclays Center singing their chant.
Debates around the Jewish religion and Black Hebrew Israelites have heightened in the wake of Irving being suspended from the Nets after promoting the documentary Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America
on his social media.The film and book of the same name were created by Ronald Dalton. The book was released in 2015, and the documentary has been available on Amazon since 2018.
Dalton says the film “uncovers the true identity of the Children of Israel by proving the true ethnicity of Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, the Sons of Ham, Shem and Japheth. Find out what Islam, Judaism and Christianity has covered up for centuries in regards to the true biblical identity of the so-called ‘Negro’ in this movie packed with tons of research.”
However, the Anti-Defamation League and many in the Jewish community have deemed the film antisemitic, Fox News reports. Irving was labeled antisemitic and was forced to apologize after failing to apologize when initially confronted about the documentary.
ESPN reports that Irving has shut down the antisemitic criticism and has since apologized “deeply” for the controversy he stirred up.
“I don’t stand for anything close to hate speech or antisemitism or anything that is anti going against the human race,” Irving said.
“I feel like we all should have an opportunity to speak for ourselves when things are assumed about us. And I feel it was necessary for me to stand in this place and take accountability for my actions because there was a way I should have handled all of this.”