Reggie Jackson speaks out against antisemitism in Pennsylvania, recalls the racism of the 1960s

Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson has spoken out against antisemitism on social media. On Saturday morning he shared a link to the Anti-Defamation League's website and cited statistics showing a rise in antisemitic incidents in Pennsylvania, his native state.

Jackson, 80, who was born in Wyncote, near Philadelphia, wrote that the situation takes him back to the racism he experienced in the 1960s.

He wrote, '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. I remember what that hatred looked and felt like. We cannot accept it in any form, directed at any people.'

Jackson also called out politicians and leaders in the Philadelphia area. He asked elected officials where their clear statements condemning antisemitism were.

He wrote, '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.'

Jackson first shared his experiences of racism in 2024, when Major League Baseball made its inaugural trip to Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, as a nod to the Negro Leagues.

He said the racism he faced while playing for the Birmingham Black Barons, a minor league affiliate of the then Kansas City Athletics, and the difficulty of travelling through different places, was something he would not wish on anybody.

Jackson said that when he walked into restaurants, people would point at him and say he could not eat there, and when he went to a hotel, they would say he could not stay there. At a welcome-home dinner at former A's owner Charlie Finley's country club, he was pointed out and told he could not come in.

He said that had it not been for Rollie Fingers, Johnny McNamara, Dave Duncan, and Joe and Sharron Rudy, he would have had nowhere to go. He slept on their couch three or four nights a week for about a month and a half, until they threatened to burn the apartment complex down unless he got out.

Jackson went on to hit 563 home runs in his Hall of Fame career, earning the name 'Mr. October' for 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.

His message on antisemitism in Pennsylvania carries one central point: people have to speak up against hate, and leaders must say plainly and consistently that hate has no place in their communities.