After being criticized for various Instagram posts which expressed admiration for Farrakhan and Hitler over the weekend, Philadelphia Eagles’ wide receiver DeSean Jackson issued an apology on Tuesday.
In a post on Instagram, Jackson apologized for his comments. “I post a lot of things that are sent to me,” he said. “I do not have hatred towards anyone. I really didn’t realize what this passage was saying. Hitler has caused terrible pain to Jewish people like the pain African-Americans have suffered. We should be together fighting anti-Semitism and racism. This was a mistake to post this and I truly apologize for posting it and sorry for any hurt I have caused.”
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I post a lot of things that are sent to me. I do not have hatred towards anyone. I really didn’t realize what this passage was saying. Hitler has caused terrible pain to Jewish people like the pain African-Americans have suffered. We should be together fighting anti-Semitism and racism. This was a mistake to post this and I truly apologize for posting it and sorry for any hurt I have caused.
A post shared by Desean Jackson (@0ne0fone) on Jul 7, 2020 at 8:50am PDT
On Tuesday, prior to Jackson’s apology, the Anti-Defamation League of Philadelphia called for an apology from Jackson. “Deeply troubling to see @DeSeanJackson10 promoting the message of notorious antisemite and NOI leader Louis Farrakhan. We have reached out to the @Eagles about this and call on Jackson to immediately apologize,” ADL Philadelphia said on social media. “We urge Mr. Jackson to use his platform as a professional athlete to promote unity and positivity, rather than the divisive words of a bigot.”
The Eagles have since issued a statement on Twitter regarding the situation with Jackson. “We have spoken with DeSean Jackson about his social media posts. Regardless of his intentions, the messages he shared were offensive, harmful, and absolutely appalling,” the team said. “They have no place in our society, and are not condoned or supported in any way by the organization. We are disappointed and we reiterated to DeSean the importance of not only apologizing, but also using his platform to take action to promote unity, equality, and respect. We are continuing to evaluate the circumstances and will take appropriate action. We take these matters very seriously and are committed to continuing to have productive and meaningful conversations with DeSean, as well as all of our players and staff, in order to educate, learn, and grow.”
Last season for the Eagles, the first of a 3-year contract, Jackson played in only three games as he dealt with an abdominal injury. He caught nine passes, for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
