02/18/2026
Black Leaders are American Leaders, and this is especially true of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson. Today we honor the life and legacy of this civil rights icon, storied activist, minister and historical leader.
A protĂŠgĂŠ of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and James Bevel, Rev. Jackson was a prominent leader in during the civil rights movement. He marched from Selma to Montgomery, he established the SCLC branch in Chicago. He organized a trade and business fair, October 1971 Black Expo, to promote black capitalism and grass roots political power in Chicago. He would go on to found two non-profit organizations that would form Rainbow/PUSH.
Rev. Jackson entered into politics, becoming a respected political activist known for his platform advancing civil rights and equity in the US. He would become the second black candidate for the Democratic Party's presidential nomination (following Shirley Chisholm) and helped to redefine the Democratic Party's base despite not securing the nomination. In the conclusion of his 1984 speech in front of the DNC, Rev. Jackson had this to say:
"Our time has come. No grave can hold our body down. Our time has come. No lie can live forever.
Our time has come. We must leave racial battle ground and come to economic common ground and moral higher ground. America, our time has come. We come from disgrace to amazing grace.
Our time has come. Give me your tired, give me your poor, your huddled masses who yearn to breathe free, and come November, there will be a change because our time has come."
The legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson is and will continue to be enduring. It has shaped the fabric of our nation and will continue to inspire Young America as we march forward into this ever-uncertain future.
To Rev. Jackson: thank you for your tireless work and activism, for your burning conviction to advance social justice, and for your compassion for all of the diverse peoples who make up the American quilt.
Rest in power.
