Former NBA player and analyst Stephen Jackson defends DeSean Jackson's anti-Semitic posts, promotes Jewish stereotypes
- Former NBA player and analyst Stephen Jackson defended NFL player DeSean Jackson's anti-Semitic posts on Instagram on Tuesday, saying DeSean was "speaking the truth."
- On Wednesday, Jackson went on Instagram and further perpetuated Jewish stereotypes, saying the Jewish community controls the banks.
- Though Jackson condemned Adolf Hitler, he was reluctant to denounce DeSean's posts, saying he didn't have to say what people want him to say.
- Many in the sports media world criticized Jackson, who has been a prominent voice in the Black Lives Matter movement.
Former NBA player and analyst Stephen Jackson perpetuated Jewish stereotypes and conspiracy theories while defending anti-Semitic posts made by Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver DeSean Jackson.
DeSean Jackson on Tuesday apologized for posting a quote on Instagram that he attributed to Adolf Hitler saying Jewish people will "blackmail" and "extort" America. The Eagles denounced the post, calling it "appalling," but did not punish DeSean.
Later on Tuesday, Stephen Jackson, who had been highly involved in Black Lives Matter protests and racial justice following the death of his friend George Floyd in Minnesota, said DeSean was "speaking the truth."
"So I just read a statement that the Philadelphia Eagles posted regarding DeSean Jackson's comments," Stephen Jackson said in a video on Instagram, according to ESPN. "He was trying to educate himself, educate people, and he's speaking the truth. 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."
"But y'all don't want us to educate ourselves. If it's talking about the Black race, y'all ain't saying nothing about it. They killing us, police killing us, and treating us like s---, racism at an all-time high, but ain't none of you NFL owners spoke up on that, ain't none of you teams spoke up on that."
Jackson referred to former Eagles wide receiver Riley Cooper, who was caught on camera using the n-word in 2013. The Eagles fined Cooper, but he later got a contract extension with the Eagles in 2014.
Jackson later deleted the video but posted to Instagram appearing to respond to the backlash.
On Wednesday, Jackson spoke to several people on Instagram Live broadcasts. Jackson said he didn't support DeSean Jackson's message or Hitler, and that he was trying to show a difference in the Eagles' response to DeSean Jackson versus Riley Cooper.
"You want me to denounce Hitler? F--- Hitler," Jackson said.
However, Jackson then perpetuated Jewish stereotypes, saying that Jewish people control the banks. When his co-host on the Instagram Live said Jewish people aren't trying to divide the Black community, Jackson responded, "You know that for a fact?"
"You know who the Rothschilds are? They control all the banks. They own all the banks," Jackson said.
When the co-host said that the Rothschilds aren't reflective of the entire Jewish community, Jackson said, "That's correlated to money. I haven't said one thing that's not true yet."
When the co-host argued that Jackson could denounce the idea that the Jewish community is trying to divide the Black community, Jackson continually responded that it wasn't his "job" to say what other people want.
Jackson, who has appeared frequently on ESPN and hosts a podcast run by Showtime, was criticized in the sports media world for perpetuating stereotypes. Many felt that the important work Jackson did in the wake of Floyd's death was hurt by his comments on Tuesday and Wednesday.
"Stephen Jackson, I think his passion, his heart is in the right place, but he's veering away from what the ultimate goal is," ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said.
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