Archive: State Farm / CC BY 2.0
Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson urged Philadelphia-area leaders to speak out against antisemitism, drawing on his own experience of racist exclusion in the 1960s to call for solidarity with Jewish communities in his native Pennsylvania.
In a Saturday post, Jackson said seeing antisemitism near his hometown of Wyncote brought back memories of segregation in the South. He described signs refusing service to Black people and separate bathrooms and drinking fountains.
“I remember what that hatred looked and felt like. We cannot accept it in any form, directed at any people,” he wrote.
Jackson’s appeal was directed at public officials and community leaders. He said he wished he could stand alongside people protesting hate, and asked for clear, consistent condemnation of antisemitism.
“When hateful language is excused or repeated, it can make hostility seem acceptable and deepen fear and division,” he wrote. “Leaders should speak plainly and consistently: antisemitism and hate have no place in our communities.”
He ended with a blunt call: “What the hell? We have to speak up.”
Jackson pointed to Anti-Defamation League data recording 465 antisemitic incidents in Pennsylvania in 2024, an 18% increase from 2023. The organization’s 2024 audit lists harassment, vandalism and assaults among the incidents it tracks. The figures describe the organization’s incident count, not a count of criminal convictions.
His message emphasized the effect of hostility on people’s daily lives, including fear about personal safety and the pressure to take extra security measures. He linked that concern to his memories of being excluded because he was Black, arguing that hatred should be rejected regardless of whom it targets.
Jackson spoke publicly about those experiences during the 2024 tribute to the Negro Leagues at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama. He recalled being turned away from restaurants and hotels while playing for the Birmingham A’s in the 1960s, and credited teammates and friends with helping him through the threats and discrimination.
“I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” he said during that appearance, as described in a 2024 account.
Jackson went on to a major-league career that included 563 home runs and three home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series for the New York Yankees. The Hall profile records his induction in 1993. His latest statement used that personal history to urge leaders to reject antisemitism and support people facing hate today.
JBizNews Desk | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
© JBizNews.com. All rights reserved. Unauthorized reproduction or redistribution is strictly prohibited.
