Two Appointees on NY’s “Committee on Reparations” Called on to Resign Over Anti-Semitic & Anti-Police Remarks

Two Appointees on NY’s “Committee on Reparations” Called on to Resign Over Anti-Semitic & Anti-Police Remarks

Edited by: Fern Sidman

In a recent development concerning New York’s newly formed committee on reparations and racial justice, Republican members of the state Senate have called for the resignation of two appointees, Ron Daniels and Lurie Daniel Favors, as was recently reported in The New York Post. These calls stem from what the GOP deems as “disturbing” anti-Semitic and anti-police remarks made by the two individuals.

@DrRonDaniels1@NYCComptroller@GovKathyHochul
Please explain how RON DANIELS was placed on the REPARATIONS COMMITTEE in NY? He doesn’t speak 4 us

NY reparations panel members blame whites for climate change, blast Sen. Tim Scott and want to defund copshttps://t.co/9LkxQTVndE

— Vole Wade (@w55677) March 18, 2024

According to reports, Daniels and Favors were appointed to New York’s nine-member commission by state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx). However, the Post report indicated that their appointment has sparked controversy and backlash from Republican lawmakers.

“The deeply offensive views of these members should completely disqualify them from serving in any government-appointed position, especially one supposedly intended to unify our state,” stated Minority Leader Robert Orr and other Republicans in the state Senate in a joint statement.

The GOP’s concerns revolve around comments made by Daniels and Favors that they believe undermine the integrity and impartiality of the commission. According to the information provided in the Post report, Daniels has been criticized for his statements linking white people to climate change and expressing support for Hamas’ activities against Israel. Meanwhile, Favors has faced scrutiny for her advocacy to defund the police.

“When announcing the members of the newly created reparations commission, Governor Hochul referred to the appointees as an ‘extraordinary group of highly-qualified individuals,’ as was noted in the Post report. The announcement failed to acknowledge the disturbing anti-Semitic and anti-police rhetoric espoused by commission members Ron Daniels and Lurie Danie Favors,” the GOP statement highlighted.

Republican lawmakers have emphasized that irrespective of one’s stance on the necessity of the commission, the anti-Semitic and anti-police rhetoric attributed to Daniels and Favors renders them unfit to serve, the Post report explained.  They have urged Governor Kathy Hochul and the Senate and Assembly Majorities to demand the immediate resignation of the two appointees.

One of the focal points of criticism is a statement made by Daniels. In an October 25, 2021 post on the platform X, Daniels is quoted as saying, “White Folks Messed Up the Weather = Black Folks Save the Planet,” the report in the Post indicated. This statement, which equates white individuals with environmental destruction and black individuals with saviors, has ignited a firestorm of controversy.

But Daniels’ remarks did not stop there. He also took aim at South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, labeling him as “Uncle Tim” – a derogatory term with racial connotations, often used to disparage black individuals perceived as aligning too closely with conservative ideologies or white interests, as per the Post report.

Furthermore, the Post reported that Daniels made several incendiary comments regarding the conflict between Israel and Hamas. In the aftermath of the October 7th attack by Hamas on Israel in which 1200 Israelis and others were brutally massacred, Daniels expressed his views on the matter, stating, “With silence, comes complacency. No Homeland. No Peace. No Justice, No Peace in Israel.” These remarks have drawn condemnation from various quarters for their perceived insensitivity and lack of nuance.

In response to mounting pressure and calls for resignation, Daniels, who serves as the founder and president of the Institute of the Black World 21st Century, remained tight-lipped. When contacted by The Post for comment regarding the calls for his resignation, Daniels simply stated, “I am not commenting.”

Another figure at the center of the controversy is Favors, the executive director at the Center for Law and Social Justice at CUNY’s Medgar Evers College. The Post noted in their report that in a July 7, 2019 post on X, Favors unleashed a scathing critique, stating, “In the name of our ancestors who weep over our fractured communities; in the name of our families whose genealogy is at best a guess and a prayer; in the name of all that is holy & just: F—K YOU & YOUR RACE APOLOGETICS. WE WILL NOT BE SILENT. WE WILL NOT MAKE YOU COMFORTABLE.”

Furthermore, another X post from April 2021 by Favors added fuel to the fire, asserting, “Police all across the country are literally proving daily why #DefundThePolice is necessary. I’m old enough to remember summa yall claiming activists were going too far,” as was indicated in the Post report.

Despite mounting pressure and calls for comment, Favors has remained silent on the matter, offering no immediate response to inquiries from The Post.

The controversy surrounding Favors has also cast a shadow over the leadership of Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, who appointed three members to the reparations panel, including Favors, as per the Post report. In light of the controversy, Heastie has faced scrutiny for his role in selecting commission members with a history of making prejudiced statements.

One state educator weighed in on the matter, asserting, “You can’t start a discussion about reparations with commission members who’ve made prejudiced statements,” according to the Post. The sentiment reflects a broader concern about the credibility and legitimacy of the panel in addressing issues of racial justice and reparations.

Former longtime CUNY board trustee Jeffrey Wiesenfeld highlighted the need for accountability and leadership in addressing such controversies, as was pointed out in the Post report. Wiesenfeld commended Heastie for replacing controversial figures in the past such as City College black studies professor Leonard Jeffries, who likened Jews to “skunks”,  while calling whites “pathological,” “dirty,” “dastardly, devilish folks”, with other “nitwits.”

Wiesenfeld, did however express dismay at the current situation, stating, “This is graceful. These are very sick people.”