Purim Problem: Brooklyn lawmaker Dov Hikind has apologized for dressing in blackface as a basketball player for Purim.

Orthodox Brooklyn lawmaker Dov Hikind apologized on Monday for donning blackface and wearing an Afro wig at a party celebrating the Jewish holiday of Purim, a costume that drew criticism from fellow lawmakers and the Anti-Defamation League bias monitoring group.

The Democratic assemblyman, who had earlier defended the costume on his blog, said he did not mean to offend anyone with the outfit, which also included black sunglasses and an orange jersey.

“It was not meant to offend anybody, it was not meant to hurt anybody. I’m sorry that anyone was,” Hikind said in an impromptu news conference, a video of which was posted on the New York Post website.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

The costume, which he wore at a party at his home on Sunday, had drawn criticism from the Anti Defamation League, which said that he had “showed terrible judgment,” according to the New York Times.

Assemblyman Karim Camara, the chairman of the New York State Black, Puerto Rican, Hispanic and Asian Legislative Caucus, said he hoped Hikind could recognize the painful history behind blackface.

Blackface was often used in minstrel shows in the 19th and early 20th centuries featuring white performers portraying African Americans, often in a degrading manner.

“A lot of black leaders and clergy – elected officials, everyday citizens – were very upset or offended, and had a lot of questions as to, from their point of view, how could someone be so insensitive,” Camara was quoted by the New York Times as saying.

Hikind had earlier defended the costume on his blog, saying the objections amounted to “political correctness to the absurd.”

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount