Dov Hikind Apologizes for Blackface Purim Costume
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.
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.”
I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward’s award-winning journalism this Passover.
In this age of misinformation, our work is needed like never before. We report on the news that matters most to American Jews, driven by truth, not ideology.
At a time when newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall. That means for the first time in our 126-year history, Forward journalism is free to everyone, everywhere. With an ongoing war, rising antisemitism, and a flood of disinformation that may affect the upcoming election, we believe that free and open access to Jewish journalism is imperative.
Readers like you make it all possible. Right now, we’re in the middle of our Passover Pledge Drive and we need 500 people to step up and make a gift to sustain our trustworthy, independent journalism.
Make a gift of any size and become a Forward member today. You’ll support our mission to tell the American Jewish story fully and fairly.
— Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO
Join our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.
Our Goal: 500 gifts during our Passover Pledge Drive!
