Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson called out antisemitism on social media and said it is comparable to the “racism I received in the 1960s.”
On Saturday morning, Mr. October posted a link to the Anti-Defamation League’s website and cited statistics showing an increase in antisemitic incidents across Pennsylvania, his native state. Jackson was born in Wyncote, near Philadelphia.
“It takes me back to the racism I experienced in the 1960s: signs throughout the South declaring that Black people could be refused service, along with separate ‘white’ and ‘colored’ signs on bathrooms and drinking fountains, ‘no n—s.’ I remember what that hatred looked and felt like. We cannot accept it in any form, directed at any people,” Jackson wrote.
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Jackson then called out politicians and leaders in the Philadelphia area.
“I wish I could be there to stand with those protesting HATE. I am asking elected officials and other leaders in Philadelphia: Where are the clear statements condemning antisemitism? When hateful language is excused or repeated, it can make hostility seem acceptable and deepen fear and division. Leaders should speak plainly and consistently: antisemitism and hate have no place in our communities. What the hell? We have to speak up,” he said.
Jackson unearthed the racism he experienced when MLB made its inaugural trip to Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama in 2024 as a nod to the Negro Leagues.
“The racism when I played here, the difficulty of going through different places where we traveled … I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” Jackson began before sharing his harsh reality of playing for the Birmingham Black Barons, which were a minor league affiliate of the then Kansas City Athletics.
“I would walk into restaurants, they would point at me and say ‘that n—– can’t eat here.’ I would go to a hotel, and they’d say ‘that n—– can’t stay here.’ We went to [former A’s owner] Charlie Finley’s country club for a welcome-home dinner, and they pointed me out with the n-word, ‘he can’t come in here …’
“Had it not been for Rollie Fingers, Johnny McNamara, Dave Duncan, Joe and Sharron Rudy, I slept on their couch three or four nights a week for about a month and a half. Finally, they threatened to burn our apartment complex down unless I got out. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.”
Jackson, 80, went on to hit 563 home runs in his eventual Hall of Fame career, aptly earning the name “Mr. October” thanks to his performance in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series when he hit three home runs in the Yankees’ title-clincher against the Los Angeles Dodgers.