On late Monday night earlier this week, Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson took to Twitter to share several anti-Semitic quotes falsely attributed to Adolf Hitler. While those who follow the sports world closely heard of this story, the national media hardly reacted to the incident, and those not invested with the daily workings of the sports world hardly noticed what had happened.
This runs in direct contrast with what happened last month regarding New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees and the comments he made regarding kneeling as a form of protest during the national anthem. Brees initially claimed in a virtual interview that he would “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country,” and was met with immediate backlash not just from the sports community, but from various national media outlets on television, the Internet, and across social media.
Brees soon redacted his comment and sincerely apologized for his actions, as did Jackson, but one is left wondering something after observing the two independent situations take place: how come Brees faced the intense and immediate backlash he did while Jackson faced virtually none?
Before going any further, it is worth noting that this article is not intended to take anything away from the Black Lives Matter movement. Systemic racism has been a serious threat to freedom in this country since its creation, and those with platforms to speak must continue to spread awareness and educate those who are unaware of the treatment of minorities and people of color in this country.
That being said, the fact that Jackson faced virtually zero backlash compared to Brees for sharing extremely anti-Semitic and sentiments is alarming. Being Jewish myself, it is extremely unsettling to me personally. And yet, countless athletes, celebrities, politicians, journalists and everyday social media users, who strongly and outwardly opposed Brees when he spoke out against protesting during the national anthem, were silent when Jackson shared his remarks this week.
The Black Lives Matter movement is intended to foster unity, community and equality in society while eradicating hate and prejudice. Those who truly stand with what BLM stands for should have strongly and publicly opposed Jackson for sharing misinformation that is intended to spread fear and hate. Many did not. But few did.
Pittsburgh Steelers offensive tackle Zach Banner was the first to respond, posting a lengthy video on his Twitter account two days after Jackson posted on his story. The emotion in his voice was evident, as he explained his personal ties with the Jewish community. Banner didn’t use his platform to call out Jackson or try to slander his name, but rather called for the unification between the black and Jewish communities, noting that “we can’t [elevate ourselves] while stepping on the back of other people.”
Kansas City Chiefs offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz, a Jewish man, responded yesterday, as he also tied in his sentiments to stand by the BLM movement while shedding light onto anti-Semitism. Schwartz, a former college teammate of Jackson, stated that he “truly [doesn’t] think DeSean meant any sort of hate or anything.” Schwartz later took to Instagram to share more of his thoughts, writing, “My hope is we can use this moment to shed light on and bring awareness to the hate and oppression the Jewish Community still faces while standing strong with the Black Lives Matter movement. We can only have change if we denounce racism in all forms.”
New England Patriots star wide receiver Julian Edleman, another Jewish man, was the latest to respond when he posted a video to his Twitter account last night. Edleman, like the other two players, looked to take the positives away from the situation, stating “I know he said some ugly things, but I do see an opportunity to have a conversation.” Edleman closed the video by offering a deal to Jackson, stating he’d agree to visit the National Museum of African American History and Culture with him if he took Jackson to the National Holocaust Museum, both located in Washington D.C.
Yes, Jackson did not face the same backlash Brees did for their respective comments. But the reactions from people in the NFL closely tied in with the Jewish community are extremely telling. None of them felt the need to call out Jackson or question his beliefs or morals, but they all related the issue back to Black Lives Matter. They all recognized a need for education and awareness, not for racism and anti-Semitism separately, but education and awareness so we can understand that they both stem from the same roots of ignorance and hate. Racism and anti-Semitism are two sides of the same coin, and until both the black and Jewish communities recognize each others’ plights and struggles, achieving true societal unity will prove to be extremely difficult.
On an optimistic note, Edleman took to Twitter this morning to reveal that he and Jackson had spoken at length on Thursday night. The wide receiver wrote that the two of them “plan to use our experiences to educate one another and grow together.”
America could stand to learn a valuable lesson from Jackson and Edleman. The response to hatred and ignorance is not more hatred and ignorance. The response is education and an open dialogue to help understand the root of the problem. Racism is unfortunately deeply rooted in American culture and history, as anti-Semitism is in world history, but watching individuals overcome their differences and embrace different perspectives with an open mind is truly inspiring, especially in an era in American society seemingly devoid of leadership.
Let’s all remember to continue to educate ourselves and each other. Understanding our history is our best chance at correcting it.
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