Many African Americans are aware of the murders and persecutions committed against Negro communities by the Ku Klux Klan over the years. However, not many people are aware of the confirmed catalyst which led to the rebirth of the Klan in the early 1900s. Numerous scholars attribute the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s to a sole blockbuster movie released in 1915 called Birth of a Nation. It’s here we find the hidden hand of Ashkenazi who helped bring this message of hate to the big screen. Ashkenazi such as Robert Goldstein supplied wardrobe and finances for the movie. German Billy Bitzer who single-handedly filmed the entire movie as well as provided finances for the film. Louis B Mayer of MGM Studios who helped distribute the film and theater managers Erlanger, Klaw, and Shubert who helped show the film in theaters across the country.

However, arguably the most important enabler of this 1915 message of hate was the newly formed Anti-Defamation-League. This newly formed League wasted little time making its mark in the motion picture industry. In fact, less than one month after the conviction of B’Nai B’rith president Leo Frank in August of 1913, the racist B’Nai B’rith team formed the Anti-Defamation League in September the following month. In fact  B’nai B’rith lawyer Luther Rosser made known his racist views when he stated the following about a Black man named Jim Conley whom they tried to blame for B’nai B’rith president Leo Frank’s murder of little Mary Phagan.. 

“I was raised with niggers and know something about them. I do not know them as well as the police, perhaps, for they know them like no one else. ”

A few months later, the ADL was formed and they began censoring films by April of 1914, according to present day news articles.  It’s here we find an ominous, foreboding partnership form. The Ant-Defamation League begins working with Mutual Films Corporation, which owned a subsidiary called Reliance Studios which helped create Birth of a Nation. Shortly after working with Mutual Films in April, filming of the KKK loving film Birth of a Nation, began in July. In other words, The ADL has some explaining to do to the Black Community as well as an apology and owing major, major reparations. For more information on the Anti-Defamation League’s racist beginning, checkout the following link for more details. Shalom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_vL-nwMGs0&t=2346s