Jesse Jackson

by

Karin L. Stanford, Ashley L. Jackson

• LAST MODIFIED: 24 October 2024
• DOI: 10.1093/obo/9780190280024-0141

Introduction

The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. (b. 8 October 8 1941) is an influential American civil rights leader, Baptist minister, and politician. He was born to Helen Burns and Noah Robinson in Greenville, South Carolina. His mother eventually married Charles Jackson, who later adopted and gave him a new last name. Jackson made historic strides as an African American candidate in his notable bids for the US presidency in 1984 and 1988. These presidential campaigns elevated the role of Blacks in politics—evidenced by Jackson’s status as the first African American to participate in a presidential debate and by successful voter registration campaigns. Jackson’s earliest civil rights action occurred in 1960 when he and seven other students led a sit-in at the segregated Greenville Public Library. Jackson attended the University of Illinois and later transferred to North Carolina A&T, where he became student body and chapter president of Omega Psi Phi fraternity. He also became active in conventional politics, joined the Young Democrats of North Carolina, and worked for North Carolina Governor Terry Sanford. Intent on becoming a minister, Jackson enrolled in Chicago Theological Seminary. During this period, his life changed drastically after meeting Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1965 while participating in the Selma to Montgomery marches for voting rights. Dr. King appointed Jackson as the national director of Operation Breadbasket, a component of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference’s economic opportunities program. After Dr. King’s assassination, Jackson left the SCLC and established Operation PUSH, People United to Save Humanity, in 1971. In 1984, he created a “Rainbow Coalition” of marginalized groups to fight for human rights and gain a voice in politics. Jackson is renowned for his oratory and expert negotiating skills, marked by his many successful hostage negotiations, including the release of Navy Lieutenant Robert Goodman from Syria during the 1984 presidential election campaign. He is most well known for one of his most recited phrases, “I Am Somebody.” Later in his career, Jackson launched an annual Wall Street conference in partnership with the New York Stock Exchange, brokered deals with corporations to invest in Black communities, authored several books, and hosted a CNN weekly TV show titled “Both Sides with Jesse Jackson.” President Bill Clinton awarded Jackson the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000. Diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in November 2017, he remains one of the most noted leaders of civil rights and global affairs.

Authored Publications

The Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. has co-authored several books that shed light on his political vision, moral fortitude, and leadership agenda. Most recently, in 2019, Jackson and Grace Ji-Sun Kim produced a collection of his most renowned speeches delving into monumental shifts in Jackson’s life story while offering updated accounts of his experiences in his later years. Jackson and Kim 2019 builds upon the foundation laid by Jackson 1989, a comprehensive resource for understanding Jackson’s 1988 presidential campaign, documented by major speeches, issues papers, photographs, and campaign analysis. Jackson 1987 provides an even earlier glimpse into his speeches and perspectives leading up to his primary presidential run. Within its pages, Jackson addresses crucial topics such as human rights, education, apartheid, presidential politics, prayer, and freedom of the press. Beyond his oratory, Jackson explores his views on race, class, and justice in literary prose. In Jackson 1996, a solo-authored work, Jackson provides historical analysis, challenges prevailing arguments, and offers alternatives to the death penalty, using high-profile cases to expose biases in the American judicial system. He expands upon his multilayered approach to tackling social issues in his pre-eminent review of his economic framework, Jackson, et al. 1999. His involvement with Operation Breadbasket, Operation PUSH, and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition’s Wall Street Project lends itself to definitions and advice toward achieving financial freedom and generational wealth for African Americans amid historical inequities, provided by Jackson, his son, former Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr., with Mary Gotschall. As an author and orator, Jackson passionately conveys his fervor and zeal for his beliefs through compelling narratives.

• Jackson, Jesse L., Sr. Straight from the Heart. Edited by Roger D. Hatch and Frank E. Watkins. Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1987.

  Jesse Jackson’s 1987 collection of speeches, sermons, and essays chronicles his life and civil rights activism. Topics include his childhood, education, religious faith, involvement in historical events like Selma, and the founding of organizations like Operation PUSH. Provides an intimate look at Jackson’s perspectives on justice, equality, politics, and more in his own words.

• Jackson, Jesse L., Sr. Keep Hope Alive: Jesse Jackson’s 1988 Presidential Campaign. Edited by Frank Clemente and Frank E. Watkins. Washington, DC: Keep Hope Alive Political Action Committee, South End Press, 1989.

  Provides an inside look at Jackson’s run as the second African American to seek the Democratic Party’s nomination for president. Covers his 1988 campaign strategy, speeches, policy platforms, and more from Jackson’s trailblazing though ultimately unsuccessful bid.

• Jackson, Jesse L., Sr. Legal Lynching: Racism, Injustice, and the Death Penalty. New York: Da Capo Press, 1996.

  Presents passionate and persuasive arguments against the death penalty by examining its history and revealing how it disproportionately affects African Americans and other marginalized groups, sometimes leading to the killing of innocent defendants.

• Jackson, Jesse L., Sr., and Grace Ji-Sun Kim. Keeping Hope Alive: Sermons and Speeches of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2019.

  The sermons and speeches feature Jackson’s work in the civil rights movement as a preacher, founder of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and an international ambassador for human rights. The exhortations were delivered to both domestic and international audiences reflecting the diversity of society. Jackson ends the book with a reflective epilogue.

• Jackson, Jesse L., Sr., Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., and Mary Gotschall. It’s About the Money!: The Fourth Movement of the Freedom Symphony: How to Build Wealth, Get Access to Capital, and Achieve Your Financial Dreams. New York: Times Business, Random House, 1999.

  As the fourth step in the freedom movement, this book presents a program for helping Americans become financially independent and self-sufficient. Issues discussed include personal finance, saving and investing, building wealth, economic empowerment, and avoiding financial scams. Included are many inspiring stories of people and their journey to financial freedom through money management.