Julian Edelman says he spoke with DeSean Jackson following video
Julian Edelman made an emotional and powerful video in response to DeSean Jackson's anti-Semitic social media posts, in which he invited the Eagles receiver to take a joint trip to the Holocaust Museum and the African American Museum of History and Culture. The Patriots wide receiver says that he has been in communication with Jackson and the two have a plan to "educate one another and grow together."
"DeSean and I spoke for awhile last night," Edelman tweeted. "We're making plans to use our experiences to educate one another and grow together. Stay tuned."
Jackson has faced backlash since posting controversial and offensive content on social media, including misattributing an anti-Semitic quote to Hitler. Edelman, one of the few Jewish players in the league, chose to reach out to Jackson and extend an opportunity to start a conversation.
"I know [DeSean] said some ugly things but I do see the opportunity to have a conversation," Edelman said in the video.
Edelman condemned anti-Semitism while speaking about his experience with bigotry in the NFL.
"Anti-Semitism is one of the oldest forms of hatred and it's rooted in ignorance and fear," Edelman explained. "I remember experiencing a little bit of this hatred in 2011 when I was called a k-ke on the football field. There's no room for anti-Semitism in this world."
It sounds like Jackson, who has apologized for his posts, took Edelman's message to heart and connected with him to discuss the fallout from his remarks. Whether the two actually end up taking a trip to D.C. to learn about the history of oppression for Jewish people and Black people remains to be seen, but it's encouraging to see Jackson so willing to learn from his hurtful mistakes.
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