Opinion: Being a public figure, Kanye West’s antisemitism influences college campuses.

———-

Ye, previously known as Kanye West, has become a controversial figure in the past decade. With incidents such as supporting Donald Trump, dismissing slavery and public statements on his divorce from Kim Kardashian, Kanye has said it all. However, the rapper began spreading antisemitism in the past few months. Now everyone is asking the same question: What happened?

Ye was often excused for his actions due to mental illness and pure ignorance. Shit hit the fan in October of 2022 duringParis Fashion Week, when Ye wore matching “White Lives Matter” shirts with conservative pundit Candace Owens. Since then, Kanye has publicly supported the Nazi party and made antisemitic comments on social media.

In an interview on the Alex Jones Show, Ye stated, “The Jewish media has made us feel like the Nazis and Hitler have never offered anything of value to the world.” He followed with, “They did good things too. We’ve got to stop dissing the Nazis all of the time.” Twitter suspended his account on numerous occasions for his hate speech and conspiracies against the Jewish community. All Tweets were taken down immediately. 

Kanye has justified antisemitism within society, making him a new face of white supremacy. Right wing extremists feel emboldened in supporting an antisemitic movement. Because of this, violence against the Jewish community is at an all-time high.

Kanye West has always been a popular name amongst Generation Z. His influence on the music industry is hard to forget. Yet a majority of his fan base choose to ignore his recent controversy. The most common rebuttals I hear are: “But he made ‘Graduation’”and “I miss the old Kanye.” By defending Ye and his music, fans actively stand by antisemitism.

Kanye inevitably influences young adults, specifically college campuses. Lily Hanson, a Jewish student at Cal Poly State University, believes antisemitism is growing rapidly on campuses. “College kids love Kanye West so much that they are saying, ‘Well, if Kanye said this then it must be true.’ They’re not going to condemn it,” Hanson said.

Whether college students know it or not, Kanye is influencing their perspectives on the Jewish community. Students won’t necessarily engage in antisemitism, but their understanding on the severity of the issue is being undermined. College campuses have a long history of antisemitic scandals and violence. Rather than the issue being challenged, it is being normalized.

On the other side, there is the issue of college administrations. Universities cannot control what Kanye West says or does. However, it is their duty to address the rising levels of antisemitism on campus. In a time where Jewish students are silenced, administrators must strive to make their campuses a safe place.

“College campuses need to do a better job at addressing it, such as supporting the Jewish unions and actively doing things that show the college condemns acts of antisemitism,” Hanson said. 

When universities remain silent, they endorse antisemitism on their campuses and society. So it’s time to make a public statement. Support the Jewish unions, such as Oregon Hillel. Provide resources on how to identify and stop acts of antisemitism. But most importantly, make Jewish students feel heard and welcomed.