Philadelphia NAACP President, Rodney Muhammad, made the following statement regarding a previous Facebook Post:
I would like to seek to clarify the comments I made yesterday.
Last Thursday, I learned of an image posted on my timeline that bared significant offense to the Jewish community. I immediately of my own volition removed it.
I apologize for the hurt this has caused. I regret the insult, pain, and offense it brought to all, particularly those of the Jewish community.
From my national and state Presidents, the NAACP strongly condemns offensive language or imagery, hate speech, and antisemitism.
As a leader in the civil rights community, I have dedicated myself to fighting oppression and persecution for all groups. I have worked with city workers, elected officials, and rabbis in the Jewish community for the past 28 years to fight for equality for all.
For the past 3 years, the NAACP Philadelphia has held its major annual event bringing national figures to our city at the Museum of American Jewish History.
However, while I have a history of fighting for all oppressed peoples, including those in the Jewish community, I recognize that I, and many others, have a responsibility to educate ourselves on the issues of historically offensive imagery and language.
I intend to take this opportunity to engage in thoughtful, meaningful, and productive dialogue between our communities so that we can all move forward.
In Service,
Rodney Muhammad
President, NAACP Philadelphia Branch