The word “icon” doesn’t adequately describe the Honorable Reverence Jesse Jackson Sr. who passed away on February 17th at the age of 84. We stand on the shoulders of giants. Reverence Jackson was one of these giants. Throughout his life, Reverence Jackson was a freedom fighter who dedicated his life to public service. He risked his life several times when fighting for civil and human rights both in America and abroad. As a college student at North Carolina A&T University during the early 1960s, Jackson participated in the sit-in movement that resulted in the integration of segregated lunch counters. In later years, he was a friend and confidante of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists.
Many believe that Jackson’s groundbreaking1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns, which were managed by the late Political Science Professor Ronald W. Waters, set the stage for Barack Obama’s successful elections. As a candidate, Jackson proved that a person of color could be a viable candidate, In addition, he addressed issues that presidential candidates seldom mentioned at the time, was committed to removing the barriers that placed underdog candidates at a disadvantage, mobilized voters in his Rainbow Coalition, and encouraged higher Black voter registration and turnout rates.
These were only a few of his accomplishments. As a respected diplomat, Jesse Jackson Sr. successfully interacted with political representatives around the world. Despite health challenges, he continued to protest injustices during the latter years of his life. When many people think of Jackson, they remember a gifted orator who coined phrases such as “I Am Somebody” and many others. We now are witnessing unprecedented attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as the type of bigotry and economic violence that Jackson often protested. When speaking at the Democratic National Convention, he once said, “It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes. Don’t you surrender. Suffering breeds character, character breeds faith. In the end faith will not disappoint.” We in the National Conference of Black Political Scientists appreciate Jackson’s legacy and vow to “Keep Hope Alive.”
In conclusion, Professor Valerie Johnson of DePaul University served as the National Education Spokesperson and Executive Director of the Citizenship Education Fund and PUSH-Excel. She remembered him by saying, “Reverend Jackson was a towering figure. A legend. The four years that I worked with him were foundational to my commitment to social justice. He was iconic for bringing together the disabled, LGBTQIA, racial minorities (including Arab Americans and Jews), farmers and labor, peace and environmental justice activists, women, and the poor under the banner of the Rainbow Coalition– as he called it, the new majority coalition. In 1984, that was an electrifying and previously unheard-of message of hope for those who were not valued members of the Democratic Party establishment. Such a coalition remains a vision– the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”
National Conference of Black Political Scientists Honors the Legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr.
The National Conference of Black Political Scientists and the Black Community stand on the shoulders of giants. One of those giants, The Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. passed away on February 17th at the age of 84. Throughout his life, Reverend Jackson was a freedom fighter who dedicated his life to public service. He exhibited his commitment to justice early in life. As a college student at North Carolina A&T University during the early 1960s, Jackson participated in the sit-in movement that resulted in the integration of segregated lunch counters. During the Movement years, he would become a friend and confidante of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and other civil rights activists. Reverend Jackson’s work would place him in harm’s way as he risked his life several times when fighting for civil and human rights both in America and abroad.
Many believe that Jackson’s groundbreaking 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns, which were managed by the late Political Science Professor Ronald W. Waters, set the stage for Barack Obama’s successful elections. As a candidate, Jackson proved that a person of color could be a viable candidate. In addition, he was ahead of the times in addressing issues that presidential candidates seldom mentioned. Reverend Jackson’s presidential campaigns focused on removing procedural barriers within the Democratic Party that placed Black candidates at a disadvantage and disenfranchised communities heavily populated by Black voters and populations that had historically ignored. Jackson’s efforts mobilized voters through his Rainbow Coalition, and left a legacy of increased Black voter registration and turnout rates, a new generation of Black political operatives, and an increased number of Black elected officials.
As a respected diplomat, Jesse Jackson Sr. successfully interacted with political representatives around the world. Despite health challenges, he continued to protest injustices during the latter years of his life. When many people think of Jackson, they remember a gifted orator who coined phrases such as “I Am Somebody” and many others. We now are witnessing unprecedented attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion as well as the type of bigotry and economic violence that Jackson often protested. When speaking at the Democratic National Convention, he once said, “It gets dark sometimes, but the morning comes. Don’t you surrender. Suffering breeds character, character breeds faith. In the end faith will not disappoint.” We in the National Conference of Black Political Scientists appreciate Jackson’s legacy and vow to “Keep Hope Alive.”
In conclusion, Professor Valerie Johnson of DePaul University served as the National Education Spokesperson and Executive Director of the Citizenship Education Fund and PUSH-Excel. She remembered him by saying, “Reverend Jackson was a towering figure. A legend. The four years that I worked with him were foundational to my commitment to social justice. He was iconic for bringing together the disabled, LGBTQIA, racial minorities (including Arab Americans and Jews), farmers and labor, peace and environmental justice activists, women, and the poor under the banner of the Rainbow Coalition– as he called it, the new majority coalition. In 1984, that was an electrifying and previously unheard-of message of hope for those who were not valued members of the Democratic Party establishment. Such a coalition remains a vision– the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.”