Reggie Jackson compares antisemitism in Pennsylvania to racism he experienced in the 1960s
The Baseball Hall of Famer cited Anti-Defamation League figures in calling on Philadelphia leaders to speak out against antisemitism.
By Lorenzo Evans ·
Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson has condemned antisemitism in Pennsylvania, comparing it with the racism he experienced in the American South during the 1960s. In a Saturday post on X, formerly Twitter, he urged Philadelphia leaders and elected officials to publicly oppose and condemn hatred directed at Jewish people.
Jackson drew attention to Anti-Defamation League figures documenting 465 antisemitic incidents across Pennsylvania in 2024. Those figures included 189 incidents in Philadelphia and 51 in Montgomery County, where his hometown of Wyncote is located. He cited the statewide and local totals as evidence that antisemitism was a concrete concern in the area where he grew up.
The statistics prompted a personal response from Jackson, who wrote that he was “angry and ashamed to see hatred tolerated there.” His criticism linked the reported incidents to his concern about the acceptance of hatred, while his appeal to local officials called for a clear and consistent public response.
Jackson also referenced ADL reports indicating that a majority of Jewish Americans are worried about antisemitism and their personal safety. Alongside the incident figures, he raised those concerns as part of his broader criticism of antisemitism and its effects on the people targeted by it.
His post also addressed the effects of hateful expression beyond those immediately targeted. Jackson cited a research review that associated exposure to hate with poorer psychological well-being, more negative stereotypes and diminished trust between groups. He presented those findings as another reason to take the impact of hatred seriously.
In drawing a comparison with the American South in the 1960s, Jackson recalled segregated bathrooms and drinking fountains, as well as signs saying that Black people could be denied service. He connected those memories of racism with reports of pervasive antisemitism, grounding his condemnation in experiences he said he remembered personally.
“I remember what that hatred looked and felt like,” Jackson wrote. “We cannot accept it in any form, directed at any people.” His appeal extended that rejection of racism to antisemitism and hatred against other groups.
Jackson concluded by calling for Philadelphia’s leaders and elected representatives to speak out plainly and consistently. He urged them to condemn antisemitism publicly and make clear that neither antisemitism nor hatred belongs in their communities.
