(Miami, FL-- Sunday, April 18, 2021) -- A massive graffiti art mural has appeared in the edgy Wynwood Walks neighborhood of Miami. Amidst Hip-Hop stylized palm trees and glowing embers, towers the statement, "WE LOVE THE HEAT. UNITED AGAINST ANTISEMITISM, RACISM & ALL HATE."
On Sunday, April 18th at 3pm in front of the mural, South Florida teens from Miami to Jupiter will kick off #DunkOnHate, a social media call out campaign where each participant uploads video of themselves sinking a basketball with a statement of why they are 'dunking on' hate and then they will call on friends, family or celebrities to do the same. The event is co-sponsored by Artists 4 Israel (A4I) and StandWithUs (SWU).
“The expression to ‘dunk on’ someone means to add insult to injury. It isn’t just scoring on the other player, it is showing them up,” explains Craig Dershowitz, CEO of Artists 4 Israel. “We are proud to join our co-sponsor StandWithUs in forcefully, aggressively, demonstratively dunking on antisemitism and all forms of hate. We intend to keep scoring points against hate until we defeat it.”
The original videos will be done in front of the giant 28' x 20’ foot urban art graffiti mural in Wynwood Walks neighborhood. The mural will be visible throughout April to anyone driving in or out of Miami via I-95 (in the back of 594 NW 26th Street 33127.) The mural is the creation of famed native Miami street artists Reds and 1Der who began painting after now former Miami HEAT player Meyers Leonard used an antisemitic slur while live-streaming a video game. The mural was created as a tribute to the Miami HEAT for standing up to hate, and our organizations have come to respect Leonard’s sincere efforts to make amends.
Neither artist who painted the mural is Jewish; Reds is Latinx and 1Der is Black. REDS is a staunch supporter of Israel and the Jewish people and frequently recruits other artists as advocates since returning from a mission to Israel with Artists for Israel to paint buildings damaged by war and terrorism.
When A4I and SWU told the artists they were organizing the #DunkOnHate campaign, Reds and 1Der jumped at the chance to become involved. They completed the mural, and at the April 18 event will paint unique graffiti works of art on the basketballs as gifts for these teens launching the movement.
“We are so proud of these teen leaders who are speaking out against antisemitism and racism," states Sara Gold Rafel, executive director of StandWithUs/Southeast. "Antisemitism is part of the Jewish story, but racism affects so many groups. It is a universal struggle. The young people in SWU’s Kenneth Leventhal High School Internship and Teen Leadership Council are rallying people of all backgrounds in Miami and beyond. Together we will #DunkOnHate until it has nowhere left to hide.”
#DunkOnHate was inspired by an incident of anti-Semitism but is relevant to anyone who has struggled against hatred. All are welcome to join the movement by tagging #DunkOnHate to a video sinking a basketball, making a statement against hate, and calling out someone else to do the same.
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About Artists 4 Israel:
Artists 4 Israel (A4I) prevents the spread of anti-Israel bigotry through art and helps heal communities and people affected by terrorism and hate.
About StandWithUs:
StandWithUs (SWU) is a non-partisan, international Israel education organization that works on five continents to inspire and educate people of all ages and faiths about Israel, as well as challenge misinformation and fight against Antisemitism.
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