Bracewar Drummer Rashod Jackson Releases New Statement Regarding His Past Use of Homophobic Slurs
Last week, The Ghost Inside released a new shirt design to benefit the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. This lead to Bracewar drummer Rashod Jackson calling out The Ghost Inside’s bassist, Jim Riley, for having used racial slurs in the past. Jackson also accused The Ghost Inside of exploiting the Black Lives Matter movement to promote their new album, which was also released last week.
The Ghost Inside subsequently parted ways with Riley, while the bassist’s defenders pointed out that Jackson used homophobic slurs on Twitter multiple times between 2010 and 2013. Jackson then said that “I was called out about [the use of that slur] by multiple friends and I apologized to them.”
Now Jackson has issued a more detailed statement on the matter. In the statement, he once again takes responsibility and demonstrates contrition for his past use of homophobic slurs, while explaining why “my past behavior does not invalidate how I feel about what The Ghost Inside and Jim Riley did.”
You can read Jackson’s entire statement below:
“While calling out racist behaviors of The Ghost Inside, the band and their fans brought up some homophobic statements I made years ago. The things I said in the past are not a reflection of the person I am today. I had to unlearn some of my behaviors when it came to the language I was using, and I am aware of how harmful these things are.
“I was called out personally by friends at the time about that behavior. I was held accountable and changed my behavior as a result. Those aren’t things I’d say at this point in my life, especially with the knowledge I’ve gained over the years, the friends I’ve made, and the respect I have for people in the LGBTQ+ community. I’d also like to sincerely thank the people who called me in and helped me grow.
“However, my past behavior does not invalidate how I feel about what The Ghost Inside and Jim Riley did, and it is clear that The Ghost Inside and their fans combed through my past tweets in an attempt to deflect from their racism. The situation is about a white person calling a black man the N word as if he was a slave in 2015.
“Knowing that someone in the band had consistently used a racial slur, and was doing nothing about it, only to then decide it was appropriate to use the Black Lives Matter movement as a way to promote the release of their record, is tasteless and inappropriate especially in the current events. This issued should have been handled before the originally matter in 2015. They should extend a helping hand to the black community that has been destroyed recently.
“Black people have been dealing with the issue of racism for over 400 years. No one should ever forget that, overlook that or excuse ANYONE for speaking in such a way. In my recent years, I’ve learned the need for intersectionality when it comes to the fight for liberation.
“I’m striving everyday to be a better man. If my use of harmful language has ever affected you, then people know you can reach out to me and we can have a conversation about accountability. I do ask for some patience when it comes to a response, as this is a historic but also painful time for me and my community. Thank you.
–Rashod”
pic.twitter.com/jE0GzjQP6j— Shod Exotic (@RashodJackson) June 7, 2020
[via The PRP]
