Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson called out rising antisemitism on social media, comparing the hatred to the severe racism he experienced during the 1960s, Fox News reported.
The intervention from the 80-year-old legend, affectionately known as “Mr. October,” arrives as local communities grapple with documented spikes in religious bigotry. Jackson shared a link to the Anti-Defamation League website on Saturday morning, drawing attention to statistics showing a stark increase in antisemitic incidents across Pennsylvania, his native state.
Born in Wyncote near Philadelphia, Jackson did not mince words about the echoes of the past he sees in modern rhetoric. “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.
It is heartbreaking to see antisemitism in my hometown. I was born in Wyncote, near Philadelphia, and it makes me angry and ashamed to see hatred tolerated there. The numbers show this is not an abstract concern. The Anti-Defamation League recorded 465 antisemitic incidents…
Demanding Accountability in Philadelphia
Jackson quickly pivoted from historical reflection to a direct challenge aimed at Pennsylvania leadership, questioning the relative quiet from officials in the greater 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 stated.
So what drives this urgent plea?
Echoes of Rickwood Field
In 2024, when Major League Baseball made its inaugural trip to Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, to honor the Negro Leagues, Jackson opened up about the vicious abuse he faced as a player for the Birmingham Black Barons, a minor league affiliate of the then Kansas City Athletics.
“The racism when I played here, the difficulty of going through different places where we traveled… I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” Jackson recounted, detailing nights where teammates like Rollie Fingers, Johnny McNamara, Dave Duncan, and Joe and Sharron Rudy sheltered him on their couch for weeks after threats were made to burn down their apartment complex.
That personal history anchors his current warning. Having hit 563 home runs and cemented his legacy with three unforgettable home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 World Series, Jackson remains uniquely positioned to connect the dots between the hate of yesterday and the bigotry making headlines today.
