Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson’s life had purpose: to improve the lives of as many people as possible. That is an epitaph that many of us would be happy to leave. He began his journey as a confidant to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., as they worked to help people of African descent escape the vestiges of slavery and Jim Crow laws to attain full citizenship and taste the sweetness of the American Dream. After several victories with the Civil Rights Act and Voting Rights Act, he realized that black Americans were not the only poor people in the richest nation on the planet. There were white folks, Native Americans, Latinos, and a host of others who lived on the edge of destitution.
He founded Operation Push in 1971—People United to Save Humanity—as a vehicle to drive societal change by pressuring corporations and the government to be more accountable to lower-income populations, while challenging poor blacks to be more self-reliant. His PUSH-Excel program urged young students to sign a written pledge to read for two hours each night and encouraged parents to monitor their children’s studies. In the spirit of Whitney M. Young, Jr., he lobbied corporate leaders to adopt affirmative action programs and to hire black people as supervisors and executives. He led boycotts that pressured and annoyed business leaders.
When he decided to launch his campaign for the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination, he began to embrace the idea of a broad-based coalition of people hurt by President Ronald Reagan’s policies, which he called the Rainbow Coalition. He likened Americans to a quilt, not a blanket, with “many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread.” His speech in San Francisco solidified his place on the national stage.
Rev. Jackson was not a social worker; he counted many of them as friends and confidants who shared his issues and concerns, particularly those in the Congressional Black Caucus. Among them were former California Reps. Ron Dellums, Barbara Lee, Karen Bass, and former Congressman Edolphus “Ed” Towns. He shared a special bond with Ed Towns, as they were both alumni of North Carolina A & T. “I graduated before Jesse,” Towns shared, “but over the years we attended many homecomings together and talked about the issues confronting the country and black people, particularly. He was an extraordinary man.”
I met Rev. Jackson during his visit to the Saint Paul Community Baptist Church in the East New York section of Brooklyn, in the wake of a shooting on February 26, 1992, at the nearby Thomas Jefferson High School, during which 15-year-old Khalil Sumpter killed fellow students Tyrone Sinkler (16) and Ian Moore (17) in a school hallway. As I had done many times during my days at the Borough President’s Office, I invited the media and arranged for their presence and a press opportunity following the service, which surprised some reporters.
As I listened to a recording of his 1984 convention speech last night, it dawned on me that I had forgotten how much Jesse Jackson’s powerful oratorical poetry had been missing from the current political scene. His voice had been quieted in recent years due to his 2017 diagnosis with Parkinson’s disease, and we had given way to the oratorical swagger of Barack Obama. There would be no President Barack Obama had Jesse Jackson not sought the presidency. Chants of “Run, Jesse, run,” opened the doors of the White House to a black President.
We have not heard the last from this great social justice warrior. There are millions of young people who know little about the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who will soon hear him tell them to say, “I am somebody,” and exhort them to “Keep hope alive!” Rev. Jackson’s son, Yusef D Jackson, and Peabody Award-winning Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed director Shola Lynch are collaborating on an as-yet-untitled project that will present what they are calling the untold story of his life. The film and docuseries project will feature his family and unseen archive footage. The depth and breadth of his accomplishments are awe-inspiring. He helped transform the political and economic landscape in the United States by expanding voter registration, advancing economic justice campaigns, and promoting corporate accountability nationwide. His 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns broadened the Democratic electorate. Internationally, he opposed apartheid, supported sanctions against South Africa, and engaged in diplomatic missions securing prisoner releases while advancing human rights globally. As President Trump vexes about whether he has a place in heaven, I am pretty certain Rev. Jackson’s place is secure.