NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – AUGUST 25: Stephen Jackson #5 of the Killer 3s reacts during a press conference during the BIG3 Playoffs at Smoothie King Center on August 25, 2019 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Sean Gardner/BIG3 via Getty Images) Former basketball player Stephen Jackson, who is currently an analyst for ESPN, defended Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson’s recent social media posts as “the truth” in a since-deleted July 7 Instagram video.
Jackson has been under fire for posting a quote from Adolf Hitler over the weekend — a quote that Snopes.com said is fabricated — as well as a post glorifying Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. The Eagles posted a statement condemning Jackson’s remarks.
ESPN reported that Stephen Jackson (no relation to DeSean Jackson) was responding to the Eagles statement in his July 7 video.
“[Jackson] was trying to educate himself, educate people, and he’s speaking the truth,” Stephen Jackson said. “Right? He’s speaking the truth. You know he don’t hate nobody, but he’s speaking the truth of the facts that he knows and trying to educate others.”
Stephen Jackson proceeded to claim that racism is “at an all-time high” and accused NFL owners of being silent on the matter. He also pointed out that the Eagles gave then-wide receiver Riley Cooper an extension in 2014 despite Cooper shouting the N-word on video a year earlier.
“I play for the Big3,” Stephen Jackson said, referencing the basketball league founded in 2017. “We have a Jewish owner. He understands where we stand and some of the things we say, but it’s not directed to him. It’s the way we’ve been treated.”
Former NBA player Stephen Jackson responds to Desean Jackson’s Hitler post by saying it’s “truth” pic.twitter.com/Web0y3bhoQ
— Conspiracy Libel (@ConspiracyLibel) July 7, 2020
Fred Katz, a reporter for The Athletic sports website, reported that Stephen Jackson defended his remarks on DeSean Jackson in a July 8 Instagram Live session and accused the Rothschild family of owning “all the banks.”
“He’s perpetuating propaganda that’s been a core of anti-Semitism for a long, long time,” Katz tweeted.
As a journalist, I should clarify to avoid confusion with those who don’t know: What Jackson is saying is not true. He’s perpetuating propaganda that’s been a core of anti-semitism for a long, long time. https://t.co/viClaQnyCb
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) July 8, 2020
Jackson also said that he’s “a fan of Minister [Louis] Farrakhan.”
Stephen Jackson "I'm a fan of Minister Farrakhan. I know how to love the minister and love the Jewish people too" pic.twitter.com/PD6qkE6SSm
— Gifdsports (@gifdsports) July 8, 2020
Various people on Twitter criticized Stephen Jackson.
“Really sad to see Stephen Jackson looping in anti-semitism into some valid criticisms of the NFL,” Jared Weiss, a writer for The Athletic, tweeted. “A huge part of my childhood in a reformed jewish household was education on systemic racism & supporting its eradication for anyone oppressed. We want to be allies in this fight.”
Really sad to see Stephen Jackson looping in anti-semitism into some valid criticisms of the NFL. A huge part of my childhood in a reformed jewish household was education on systemic racism & supporting its eradication for anyone oppressed. We want to be allies in this fight.
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) July 8, 2020
Pro-Israel writer Claire Voltaire tweeted, “These pernicious beliefs are infiltrating mainstream culture and pushback is slow and painful.”
These pernicious beliefs are infiltrating mainstream culture and pushback is slow and painful. https://t.co/lPjRj0AZPK
— Claire (@Claire_V0ltaire) July 7, 2020
One Twitter user, Cameron Gray, pointed out that CNN has had Stephen Jackson on as a guest to discuss racial issues.
“You recently had this man on your show, @ChrisCuomo, what time is he booked to come back on and talk about this?” Gray tweeted. “Same question to you too, @donlemon and @JohnBerman.”
You recently had this man on your show, @ChrisCuomo, what time is he booked to come back on and talk about this? Same question to you too, @donlemon and @JohnBerman. https://t.co/YYwUxlHst4
— Cameron Gray (@Cameron_Gray) July 7, 2020
DeSean Jackson has issued two apologies over his social media posts. David Adelman, chairman of the Philadelphia Holocaust Remembrance Foundation, tweeted on July 7 that DeSean Jackson agreed to a tour of Philadelphia’s Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza.
“Confident we can turn this into a positive together,” Adelman wrote.
Just had aFaceTime call w @deseanjackson10 & @michaelgrubin DeSean apologized for his hurtful comments. As Chair of the @phillyholocaust memorial, I offered to host him for an education session & tour of the plaza & he accepted. Confident we can turn this into a positive together https://t.co/y04xobo7Oc
— David Adelman (@david_adelman) July 8, 2020
More news and opinions than at a Shabbat dinner, right in your inbox.