The Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. is remembered by many as the man who was with Martin Luther King Jr. when he was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968. It was Jackson who called Coretta Scott King to tell her that her husband had been shot.
But Jackson, who died Tuesday in Chicago at age 84, was also a global humanitarian and an iconic civil-rights leader in his own right. He was a son of the South, born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina, and a man of faith.
He was a poet and a wordsmith, a prolific and prophetic speaker, an inspirational orator and author of some of the most memorable and profound one-liners that elevated humanity. When people felt despondent, invisible and voiceless, he reminded us to “keep hope alive.” When African Americans felt unseen, unheard and irrelevant, Jackson reminded us that “I am somebody.” He illuminated hope. These messages resonate as an affirming mantra within the community even today.
When there was debate and discussion about how Black people as a group should be referenced, it was Jackson who presented the title and category of African American.
Before meeting Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson was a member of the Greenville Eight. He was arrested after he led a sit-in to desegregate the public library. This nonviolent action ultimately helped change access to public institutions in Greenville, South Carolina.
The battles that Jackson fought for African Americans in the 1960s and 1970s were not unlike many challenges the community faces today. King appointed Jackson to manage a Chicago organization called Operation Breadbasket. One of the objectives of Operation Breadbasket was to hold accountable the companies who owned and conducted business in African American communities but did not hire African Americans.
In 1971, Jackson started Operation PUSH — People United to Save Humanity. It was through this platform that Jackson amplified his brand, visibility, message and impact around the world. He met with presidents, prime ministers and heads of states seeking peace, reconciliation and freedom.
Since he gradually faded from the national stage and global conversations, the questions among the African American community have been “Who will speak for us?” and “Where is our Jesse Jackson?” Many have tried to copy his tone and cadence. The fact of the matter is that, just as there was only one Martin Luther King Jr., there was only one Rev. Jesse Jackson. He spent his life doing good for others. There will never be another Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr.
He saw hurt, pain, loss, hopelessness, blight and despair. He saw humanity, and he responded. He marched, protested, spoke and contributed to critical policy and legislation that made America better for all. He used his agency and influence to knock on doors that had been sealed shut. He invited people to the table who were resistant, unwelcoming and uncivil. He believed in a brighter and more beautiful America, when opponents and naysayers couldn’t see the brilliant mosaic of our country’s future.
He was the second African American to run for a major party’s nomination to be president of the United States. (Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm was the first.) Jackson ran for the office twice. The first time, in 1984, he garnered more than 3 million votes. The second time, in 1988, 7 million votes were cast for him.
The African American community praises him for his bold and courageous campaigns because Jackson’s pioneering ambitions paved the way for Sen. Carol Moseley Braun, for President Barack Obama and for Gov. Wes Moore, to name a few. Many of the inroads that African Americans experienced in corporate and political spheres is because of the leadership, advocacy and risk of Jesse Jackson. We stand on his shoulders as our voice, champion, stalwart vanguard and now, with his passing, an ancestor.
In all of the praise, accolades and honors thrust upon him and all that he accomplished, he was a servant of God. He was friendly and accessible, a passionate advocate for justice. The reason that our social media timelines are flooded with pictures of him this week is because he was also a man of the people. As an expression of gratitude, and in his honor, the world will keep hope alive.
