New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman posted a two-and-a-half minute video to Instagram on Thursday, a response to DeSean Jackson’s anti-Semitic post from Monday.
Edelman, who is Jewish, opened by explaining that he needed a few days to collect his thoughts and write down what he wanted to say. What followed was not just a condemnation of anti-Semitism, but an attempt to bridge the gap between the Black community and the Jewish community.
Edelman didn’t identify as Jewish until adulthood, and discussed what it was like to hear people being hateful without feeling it was directed at him.