Stephen Jackson doubles down after supporting DeSean Jackson's Hitler post: 'Haven't said one thing that's untrue'
A day after defending DeSean Jackson for his controversial social media post with a fake Hitler quote, Stephen Jackson isn’t backing down.
The former NBA player made multiple appearances on Instagram Live on Wednesday to speak his mind. He did not apologize for his stance.
“You’re upset with me because I didn’t say what you wanted me to say,” Jackson said, per a transcript provided by The Athletic’s Fred Katz.
He then promoted an anti-Semitic trope when challenged by a follower.
‘You know who the Rothschilds are?’
“The point is, you did not just say to me that Jews are not trying to divide the black community," the person who joined Jackson’s session said.
"You know that for a fact?” Jackson responded … “You know who the Rothschilds are? They own all the banks. ...
“I haven’t said one thing that’s untrue yet."
The Rothschilds are a wealthy Jewish banking dynasty. The stereotype that Jewish people run “all the banks” is a longstanding anti-Semitic trope.
‘He was speaking the truth’
Jackson’s comments Wednesday arrive after he supported DeSean Jackson’s anti-Semitic Instagram post.
“So I just read a statement that the Philadelphia Eagles posted regarding DeSean Jackson’s comments,” Jackson said Tuesday. “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, the facts that he know and try to educate others.”
The original post made by DeSean Jackson cited a quote that he believed to be from Adolf Hitler that referred to Black people as “the real children of Israel” and allegedly cited Hitler’s plan to incite World War III from his grave. Snopes uncovered the passage as part of a clickbait campaign from 2017.
DeSean Jackson has apologized multiple times for the post.
Stephen Jackson followed up his initial defense of the post on Tuesday with another message on Instagram declaring “your races pain doesn’t hurt more than the next races pain.”
Jackson lashes out at critics
Jackson received widespread backlash for his stance and addressed critics in a second Instagram Live appearance Wednesday.
“Everybody that thinks I got hate,” Jackson said. “I know how to stand for my people and love my people without demeaning another race. ...
“That’s how they do it. Y’all don’t control me. Y’all don’t control me.”
Jackson was a prominent voice in the aftermath of George Floyd’s homicide. A friend of Floyd’s, Jackson was a frequent speaker at rallies and advocate for social justice.
On Wednesday he called for people expressing outrage at his anti-Semitic remarks to reserve that energy for injustice in the Black community.
“I just hope y’all keep that same energy when the Blacks get murdered,” Jackson said. “When Black people get murdered on the streets, keep that same energy.”
He also said that he’s not anti-Semitic, blaming social media for trying to “control my narrative.”
“I”m not anti-Semitic,” Jackson said. “Whatever that is, I’m not it. I love Jews. I love all races.”
Jackson’s support of Louis Farrakhan
Jackson then said he has been learning how to lead from Louis Farrakhan, the leader of the Nation of Islam, a group the Southern Poverty Law Center designates as “deeply racist, anti-Semitic and anti-LGBT.”
“I’m a fan of minister Farrakhan because nobody loves Black people more than him,” Jackson said. “He hasn’t told me to hate somebody one time. He’s teaching me how to be a leader.
“Just because you don’t like him, doesn’t mean I’m gonna not like him.”
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