Linda Sarsour preaches to NYU about voting for 'people of color'

Women’s March leader Linda Sarsour spoke Monday at New York University, stressing to attendees the importance of voting for people of color in 2020.

Sarsour, who described herself as “unapologetically Muslim American,” addressed NYU’s Skirball Center for Performing Arts, according to the Washington Square News. The activist has previously called for jihad against President Donald Trump, spoken in favor of radical Islamic groups, and refused to condemn Nation of Islam leader, Louis Farrakhan, who compared Jewish people to termites.

“Just because my family came here to this country, I don’t forget that this country has caused a lot of horror and trauma against many communities,” Sarsour told the audience. 

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She also suggested voting for political candidates based on their race. 

“Why not follow people of color?” Sarsour asked. “Because people of color are the most directly impacted by injustice. So guess who wants justice first? The people impacted by injustice. So I want to follow the people who are trying to get to the justice first, and that is going to be the people who are the most pained and traumatized and broken in our country.” 

An NYU spokesman told Campus Reform that he did not know the amount paid to Sarsour for the speech. This is not the first time Sarsour has spoken at NYU; she addressed the law school in 2016. 

Jewish Defense League activists called Sarsour an anti-Semite during a protest before the speech. NYU community members had differing perspectives on the presentation.

“I thought she handled herself very well,” NYU student Tia Simone told the Washington Square News. “I think her idea of unity in general and not unity based on your political beliefs or religious beliefs, but unity of everybody to fight for a common cause [of] just basic human rights resonated with me the most.”

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Fellow student Sarah Patt said that she appreciated Sarsour’s support for intersectionality.

But NYU alum Karys Rhea said, “at the end of the day, [she] is a hypocrite because, in her mind, everyone has a right to their point of views and to be helped and protected, except for the people that really disagree with Linda Sarsour.”

Follow the author of this article: Seth Segal