Tamika Mallory at a TED Talk. | Photo: YouTube/Tedx Talks
It has been discovered Tamika Mallory, co-president of the Women’s March, attended a speech by Louis Farrakhan in February at Saviour’s Day. Farrakhan is a minister and has been the leader of the Nation of Islam since the 1970s.
The Nation of Islam is an African-American political and religious movement. Many criticize it as being supremacist, antisemitic, and homophobic. The Southern Poverty Law Center classifies it as a hate group.
During the speech, Farrakhan said ‘the powerful Jews are my enemy’.
It is hardly the first time Farrakhan has made controversial and volatile comments aimed at certain groups. However, people are instead questioning Mallory’s attendance and her relationship with the minister.
‘I have heard the pains and concerns’
Initially, Mallory responded to the criticism in a defensive manner.
If your leader does not have the same enemies as Jesus, they may not be THE leader! Study the Bible and u will find the similarities. Ostracizing, ridicule and rejection is a painful part of the process…but faith is the substance of things!
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 1, 2018
A day later, she wrote a Twitter thread, saying her love for people is deep.
Family…thank you for loving me and for knowing the truth about who I am. My work speaks for itself…my words have been clear…my love for people is deep. Whatever else they say about me is a LIE. Thank you for continuing to hold me up. I stand on my reputation!
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 2, 2018
Then, a couple days later, she started another thread.
This is a thread. It seems I am not being clear. I am and always have been against all forms of racism. I am committed to ending anti-black racism, antisemitism, homophobia & transphobia. This is why I helped create an intersectional movement to bring groups together.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 5, 2018
Empathy for each other requires that we listen, reflect, attempt to understand, and give space for nuance & complexities of the different communities we come from. This isn’t gonna be easy. I know that.
— Tamika D. Mallory (@TamikaDMallory) March 5, 2018
Still wanting to explain herself, she wrote an op-ed for News One.
‘I have heard the pain and concerns of my LGBTQAI siblings, my Jewish friends and Black women,’ she wrote. ‘I affirm the validity of those feelings.’
She also revealed she has been attending Saviour’s Day for 30 years.
‘I am the same woman who helped to build an intersectional movement that fights for the rights of all people and stands against hatred and discrimination of all forms. I am the same person today that I was before Saviour’s Day, which begs the question – why are my beliefs being questioned now?’
Other Women’s March organizers Carmen Perez and Linda Sarsour have also associated with Farrakhan.
In response to his volatility, Perez told Refinery29: ‘People need to understand the significant contributions that these individuals have made to Black and Brown people. There are no perfect leaders.’
Calls to step down
On Tuesday (6 March), the Women’s March released a statement. They said they are ‘committed to fighting all forms of oppression’.
Anti-Semitism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, racism and white supremacy are and always will be indefensible.
Please read our statement: pic.twitter.com/bRFqAGf81t
— Women’s March (@womensmarch) March 6, 2018
However, many don’t find the statement to be enough. Several others are calling for Mallory, Perez, and Sarsour to step down unless they denounce Farrakhan and the Nation of Islam.
If Tamika Mallory, Linda Sarsour, Bob Bland, and Carmen Perez can’t do the bare minimum and admit that they’ve repeatedly excused, condoned, and been complicit in antisemitism in the last few days, they should step down from their positions in the Women’s March.
— JC (@jcinthelibrary) March 4, 2018
Forgive me for having a hard time believing this days-late statement after the way every co-chair conducted themselves in defense of Mallory’s support for Farrakhan.
No member of the LGBT community, the Jewish community, or any woman, has any reason to trust you after this.
— diane alston (@dianelyssa) March 6, 2018
The women who assumed leadership (@TamikaDMallory @lsarsour) responded to criticism of their support for bigot, Farrakhan, by defending it/dismissing those hurt.
Their tone deaf response to criticism (again) shows these “leaders” are out of step w this movement & must step down.
— Anne with an “e” (@mrsmaris) March 6, 2018
In this thread, Daniel Sugarman posted Instagram screenshots of these leaders praising Farrakhan.
3) Farrakhan has been spouting the most vile antisemitism for decades. Here are three of the co-Presidents of the Women’s March, lauding him over the last few years. pic.twitter.com/1VQCUJnO0b
— Daniel Sugarman (@Daniel_Sugarman) March 6, 2018
Sometimes responding with sarcasm is the best way.
exactly! you can’t hold people accountable for the hate rallies they attend.
For example It’s misogynistic to hold these men accountable for any of the racist things their leader Richard Spencer says.
These boys, and Tamika Mallory are very fine people! pic.twitter.com/gUWzPu2c57
— Casey “fully, semi-automatic” Smith (@x0x0x00x0x0) March 5, 2018
The Women’s March came into existence with the election of Donald Trump. The first worldwide march and protest took place the day after Trump’s inuaguration. Another one took place in January of this year, drawing even larger numbers.
However, there has been criticism of the movement and its leaders since its inception. Many rebuked it for not paying dues to Hillary Clinton, while naming Bernie Sanders and other disputed figures as speakers.