Jamaal Jarrett, a defensive end for the Georgia Bulldogs, has been criticised for saying mean things about Asian Americans during an Instagram Live stream of the NFL draft with the video of him using the slurs for Jalen Carter viral
Shane Gifford, a young Asian-American from Big Brothers Big Sisters of Kansas City, stepped up to the microphone Thursday night to announce the Atlanta Falcons’ pick. Jarrett made a slur against Asian people in response to Gifford’s arrival.
“Jalen Carter You Asian, ching chong,” Jamaal Jarrett uses Asian slur on live stream, video goes viral
He said, “Jalen Carter, cโmon you Asian, ching chong!” People are upset about the comments online, and many are criticising the attitude of the Georgia football team. Jamaal Jarrett is a highly regarded four-star recruit for the class of 2023. He is thought to be one of the best defensive tackles in the country.
Georgia DT Jamaal Jarrett streamed some racially insensitive remarks on IG live on draft nightโฆ Yikes. pic.twitter.com/mTfbSxgzTV
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) April 30, 2023
Before he chose Georgia, 27 schools from every major conference offered him scholarships. Even though Jarrett has a bright future, his words have made people wonder about his character and whether he should be allowed to play football for the university.
Backlash against Georgia football program after Jamaal Jarrett remark
The Georgia football team has been in the news for bad things even before Jamaal Jarrett incident, so this is not the first time something like this has happened. In January of this year, Georgia player Devin Willock and recruiting worker Chandler LeCroy died in a car accident after leaving a strip club.
Then, Jalen Carter was taken into custody on charges that he had been racing and driving carelessly before the crash. Also many people on Twitter have noticed the trend and criticised head coach Kirby Smart for not doing more to change the program’s culture.
@JamaalJarrett what if some one said โcome on you africanโ then made clicking noises, would you like that? Poor choice man. https://t.co/pg0ncREVyJ pic.twitter.com/shKpWmJyoE
— Jose Martinez (@JMartinez1789) April 30, 2023
“Culture at Georgia seems good,” one person tweeted on remarks by Jamaal Jarrett. “This on a live video. Players getting arrested. Players drinking and racing causing two deaths. I am sure winning sweeps this under the rug, right Dawg fans?”
Asian-American advocacy groups call for punishment
Many people, including Asian-American advocacy groups, have said that Jamaal Jarrett’s statements were wrong. Also the Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association (APAPA) said in a statement that Jarrett should be punished by the university.
“The use of derogatory terms and slurs against any individual or group based on their race, ethnicity, or background is unacceptable and has no place in our society,” the statement read for Jamaal Jarrett. “We call on the University of Georgia to take appropriate action in response to these offensive and hurtful comments.”
So far, the school hasn’t said anything about whether Jamaal Jarrett will get in trouble for what he said on Thursday’s video. The incident makes people wonder if athletes and other public figures have a duty to use their platform to spread good messages and avoid using bad language. It also shows how important education and awareness are when it comes to racism and discrimination, as well as how institutions need to move quickly when problems happen.
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