Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Pioneer And Rainbow Coalition Founder, Dies
Jackson advocated for LGBTQ+ rights within the mainstream agenda in the 1980s, and united diverse and marginalized groups through the Rainbow Coalition.
Featured Image: Jesse Jackson, Baptist minister and candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984, shakes hands with supporters during a campaign stop in Texas. (Photo by Jacques M. Chenet/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images)
Rev. Jesse Jackson, champion of the working class and poor, who sought to “to transform the mind of America,” has died at the age of 84. “It is with profound sadness that we announce the passing of Civil Rights leader and founder of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Honorable Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.,” his family said in a statement following his death. “He died peacefully on Tuesday morning, surrounded by his family. His unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless—from his Presidential campaigns in the 1980s to mobilizing millions to register to vote—leaving an indelible mark on history.”
Video: Jesse Jackson 1984 Democratic National Convention Keynote Speech, July 17, 1984 (via YouTube)
A Baptist minister and gifted orator, Jackson galvanized voters at both the 1984 and 1988 Democratic National Conventions. In 1984, he voiced hope that the Democratic party would usher in a more just course.
At the 1988 DNC Convention, he inspired a generation with his moving “Keep Hope Alive” speech, in which he urged: “Wherever you are tonight, you can make it. Hold your head high, stick your chest out. You can make it. 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.”
He told the crowd: “When I look out at this convention, I see the face of America, red, yellow, brown, black and white. We are all precious in God’s sight — the real rainbow coalition.”
Video: Jesse Jackson’s Moving ‘Keep Hope Alive’ Speech July 19, 1988 | NowThis via YouTube
Jackson sought to advance a progressive social justice platform by uniting diverse and marginalized groups. In 1984, when Ronald Reagan emerged victor in the race for the presidency, Jackson formed the Rainbow Coalition which included Black, white, Asian, Native American, rural and urban, LGBTQ+ and straight people. It brought together labor unions, farmers, environmentalists, and others to mobilize an inclusive voting bloc on behalf of the “desperate, damned, disinherited, disrespected and despised.”
In 1996, Jackson merged that group with People United to Serve Humanity (PUSH, 1971) to form the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, whose mission was ” to protect, defend, and gain civil rights by leveling the economic and educational playing fields, and to promote peace and justice around the world.” Today, the organization continues to serve as a voice for the voiceless.
Jackson fought not only for issues close to home, like women’s rights, but those with international reach, like apartheid in South Africa.
Jackson is widely considered to have occupied a space between Martin Luther King, Jr. and Barack Obama as a towering Black figure of influence. Twice, he made a presidential bid himself. Though he did not gain a presidential victory, he drew more votes in both runs than any Black candidate prior. He helped pave the way for others, and helped define a new era of politics within the Democratic Party.
“People forget about this,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (VT) said in 2015 before the Iowa caucuses, “but Barack Obama would not be president today if Jesse Jackson didn’t come to Iowa. That was a guerrilla-type campaign that clearly didn’t have resources but had incredible energy.”
When Jackson appeared in a wheelchair in Chicago at the 2024 Democrat Convention to support Kamala Harris’ bid for president, he was met with a standing ovation.
Image: courtesy of Jesse Jackson Legacy
Public observances will be held in Chicago. Final arrangements for Reverend Jackson’s celebration of life services, including all public events, will be released by the Rainbow PUSH Coalition at www.rainbowpush.org or JesseJacksonLegacy.com.
“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world,” the Jackson family said. “We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”
