Hymietown statement
The "Hymietown statement" refers to a controversial remark made by Reverend Jesse Jackson in January 1984, when he referred to Jews as "Hymies" and labeled New York City as "Hymietown." These comments were made during a conversation with black journalists after his presidential campaign, but they did not receive significant attention until weeks later when they were published in The Washington Post. Initially, the comments were part of a broader article on Jackson's foreign policy views but later sparked national outrage following an editorial denouncing the remarks.
In the aftermath, Jackson initially denied making the statements, attributing his political struggles to a perceived Jewish conspiracy. However, he later acknowledged his comments and apologized to Jewish leaders in a synagogue, emphasizing that his remarks were not indicative of his overall views on Jews or Israel. Jackson sought to reframe the incident as a challenge to the progress in Jewish-African American relations and advocated for continued collaboration among marginalized groups through his Rainbow Coalition. This event remains a significant moment in discussions about race, political discourse, and intergroup relations in the United States.
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Hymietown statement
In January of 1984, the Reverend Jesse Jackson labeled Jews as “Hymies” and referred to New York City as “Hymietown.” These comments were made in the presence of black journalists following Jackson’s presidential election campaign. One of the journalists, Milton Coleman, relayed Jackson’s comments to his associates at The Washington Post. The remarks were printed weeks later, buried deep within a broader article discussing Jackson’s attitudes on foreign policy, particularly Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the Middle East. Initially, neither the article nor Jackson’s slurs garnered much attention. However, on February 18 of that year, The Washington Post ran an editorial denouncing Jackson’s comments, thus triggering national media attention.
Jackson first denied making the remarks and claimed that Jews were conspiring to defeat his campaign. He later acknowledged making the comments and apologized, asking a group of national Jewish leaders for forgiveness in a Manchester, New Hampshire, synagogue shortly before the state’s election primary. Jackson then publicly questioned whether this isolated incident should dismantle the progress made in Jewish–African American relations. He argued that the remarks did not reflect his basic attitudes toward Jews or Israel, and continued to invite Jews to join his Rainbow Coalition, an organization comprising oppressed groups.
Bibliography
Dinnerstein, Leonard. Antisemitism in America. New York: Oxford UP, 1995. Print.
Hirschorn, Michael W. "Jesse and the Jews." Harvard Crimson. Harvard Crimson, 5 Mar. 1984. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
"Rev. Jesse Jackson on Principles & Values." On the Issues. OnTheIssues.org, 5 Jul. 2014. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
Sabato, Larry J. "Jesse Jackson's 'Hymietown' Remark—1984." Feeding Frenzy. Washington Post, 1998. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.
Tapper, Jake. "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." Salon. Salon Media Group, 16 Aug. 2000. Web. 30 Apr. 2015.