Many people who knew and worked with the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. are vowing to 'keep hope alive' in honor of his legacy. Jackson, who led the U.S. Civil Rights Movement for decades, died Tuesday. The protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate was 84.
Jackson led a lifetime of crusades in the United States and abroad, advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues from voting rights and job opportunities to education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more open and equitable society.
And when he declared, “I am Somebody,” in a poem he often repeated, he sought to reach people of all colors. “I may be poor, but I am Somebody; I may be young; but I am Somebody; I may be on welfare, but I am Somebody,” intoned America’s best-known civil rights activist since King.
Santita Jackson confirmed that her father died at home in Chicago, surrounded by family.
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Clintons: ‘We were friends for almost 50 years’
“Jackson championed human dignity and helped create opportunities for countless people to live better lives. Throughout it all, he kept marching to the music of his conscience, his convictions, and his causes, said a statement from former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
“Reverend Jackson never stopped working for a better America with brighter tomorrows, including his historic campaigns for the Presidency in 1984 and 1988 in which he championed the concerns of Black, Latino, Asian, and lower income white Americans. I will always be grateful for the friendship he gave Hillary, Chelsea and me; proud to have nominated him as my Special Envoy for the Promotion of Democracy in Africa; and honored to present him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.”
“Hillary and I loved him very much,” the statement said. “Our hearts and prayers go out to Jackie, their children and grandchildren, and all the people across America and around the world who were inspired by his service to humanity.”
Sharpton, eulogizing Jackson, says ‘everything he fought for is at risk’
At press conference in New York on Tuesday, the Rev. Al Sharpton spoke about their long friendship. They met when Sharpton was 13 and first becoming involved in civil rights activism through the church. Sharpton said Jackson’s tireless work was not only an inspiration to his career, it was also vital to keeping the civil rights movement alive.
“I always wondered how much trauma that must have been for him to witness Rev. King’s assassination. He never would talk about it too much, but it drove him. He said ‘We’ve got to keep Dr. King’s legacy alive.’”
Jackson, perhaps more than any other civil rights advocate, pushed for diversity, equity and inclusion in corporations whose leadership was overwhelmingly white and male. Now, of course, DEI is targeted by the Trump administration for elimination.
“Everything he fought for is at risk, and if we want to mourn him we’ve got to preserve what he fought for,” Sharpton said.
Jackson’s alma mater honors him as an ‘international force for equality and justice’
“The indelible mark he left on our university and indeed, on all of us, is deeply felt this morning. Our hearts and prayers go out to the Jackson family and to all who knew him and benefitted from his life’s work,” North Carolina A&T Chancellor James R. Martin II said in a news release.
The university noted that “Jackson quickly established himself as a campus leader, ultimately becoming student government president, even as he quarterbacked the Aggie football team,” before graduating in 1964 with a B.S. in sociology. It also celebrated his wife Jacqueline L.B. Jackson, who graduated from NCA&T in 1967, and returned with generations of her family to receive an honorary doctorate.
Michigan governor candidate considered Jackson a mentor
"Personally, I am grateful for Rev. Jackson's mentorship and example to me and so many others. He reinforced in me that speaking the truth is always the right thing to do in real time," said Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, who could become the state's first Black governor if he wins this year's race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Whitmer said Jackson had a “special connection” to Michigan and especially Detroit. “He visited often, standing with labor, working with local leaders, and inspiring the next generation of changemakers,” her statement said. “As we heed Rev. Jackson’s tireless call to ‘Keep hope alive,’ let’s also continue to do the hard work of building a freer, fairer Michigan for all.”
African American Mayors Association mourns ‘most influential civil rights champion of our time’
“He showed us that change is possible when we have the courage to demand it,” said the association’s president, Mayor Van R. Johnson II of Savannah, Georgia.
“His two historic presidential campaigns opened the door to what is possible for Black leaders in America and became a direct inspiration for so many of us; as he said, ‘if our minds can conceive it, if our hearts can believe it, then we know that we can achieve it,’” the statement said. “We will honor his memory by continuing the work he started, and recommitting ourselves to the fight for a better, more just nation.”
NAACP honors ‘a towering moral voice’
Jackson was “a transformative leader whose life’s work is deeply woven into the history, mission, and enduring impact of our Association and the nation,” an NAACP statement said.
“He challenged this nation to live up to its highest ideals, and he reminded our movement that hope is both a strategy and a responsibility,” said the joint statement by NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell, NAACP Vice Chair Karen Boykin Towns and NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson.
“Now, more than ever, we honor his legacy by continuing the work he championed: protecting the right to vote, expanding economic opportunity, and fighting for the freedom and dignity of Black people everywhere,” they said. “The Rev. Jackson’s passing marks the loss of a towering moral voice, but the movement he helped build will carry his light forward. His legacy calls each of us to stay committed, stay organized, and remain faithful to the pursuit of justice.
Chicago congressman laments his friend’s passing
“Of course, we have known that he was ill for quite some time, and that ultimately it would come,” Rep. Danny K. Davis’ statement said. “The work, the spirit, what he has meant, not only to the city, the state, country and this world will continue to live on.”
“I extend condolences to his family. Mrs. Jackie Jackson, all of his children, and the work that he has done will continue, because they are all seriously involved in public decision-making. And so though he will be gone, he will continue to live on.”
Atlanta mayor means to keep Jackson’s hopes alive
“I join the people of Atlanta mourning the passing of an American icon,” Mayor Andre Dickens said. "Rev. Jackson showed up for us consistently. He never stopped challenging leaders to do better by Americans, especially when it comes to economic justice. And that’s a fight that we will continue.”
“Here in Atlanta, as well as around the country, we would be wise to heed Rev. Jackson’s words and ‘keep hope alive.’ We intend to,” his statement said.
Illinois governor orders flags to half-staff
Gov. JB Pritzker ordered flags to half-staff across Illinois in honor of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.
Pritzker, a Democrat, called Jackson a “giant of the civil rights movement.”
“He broke down barriers, inspired generations, and kept hope alive,” Pritzker said in social media posts. “Our state, nation, and world are better due to his years of service.”
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Human Rights Campaign recalls Jackson’s support for marriage equality
Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, praised Jackson for embodying “courage, hope, and a relentlessness that will not be denied.”
“His historic presidential campaigns paved the way for generations of Black leaders to imagine ourselves in rooms we were once told were closed to us,” Robinson said in a statement.
“Reverend Jackson also stood up when it mattered; when it wasn’t easy and when it wasn’t popular. His support for marriage equality and for LGBTQ+ people affirmed a simple, powerful truth: Our liberation is bound together.”
Civil rights prosecutor says Jackson reminds Americans to ‘keep up the good fight’
Jackson’s impact “can be felt in virtually every aspect of American life,” said Kristen Clarke, former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice during the Biden administration.
“A tireless and extraordinary public servant, his charge to all of us was to stay hopeful, keep up the good fight and respect the dignity and humanity of all people,” Clarke said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. “Jackson has been, and will always be, a central part of the story regarding America’s ongoing quest for justice and equality.”
King’s son hopes Jackson’s life will inspire others to be ‘louder, braver, more faithful’
“Jackson was more than a civil rights advocate—he was a living bridge between generations, carrying forward the unfinished work and sacred promise of the Civil Rights Movement,” Martin Luther King III and his wife Andrea King said in a statement.
“He walked with courage when the road was uncertain, spoke with conviction when the truth was inconvenient, and stood with the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten when it was not popular to do so. His life was a testament to the power of faith in action—faith that justice could be won, that dignity belongs to every person, and that love must always have the final word.”
“May his memory be a wellspring of strength and courage for all who continue the sacred work to which he gave his life. As he so often reminded us, “Keep hope alive.”
‘Poor People’s Campaign’ leader recalls Jackson’s hope for America’s promise
"Jesse Jackson was a gift from God and a witness that God exists in the ways he cared for and lifted all people, the way he called forth a rainbow coalition of people to challenge economic and social inequality from the pulpit to a historic presidential run, the way he dared to keep hope alive whenever the nation struggled with being who she says she is and yet ought to be," said Bishop William J. Barber II, who co-founded the Poor People's Campaign.
“When I was a college student, he was a gift to me as a mentor, and it has been my great privilege to have him walk alongside me through my whole public ministry,” Barber said. “May we all take up his hope for the America that has never yet been but nevertheless must be.”
Sen. Raphael Warnock on Jackson: ‘His ministry was poetry’
“America has lost one of its great moral voices. Reverend Jesse Jackson spent his life working to ensure our nation lives up to its highest ideals. From his early days as a young staffer with Dr. King onto the national stage, he fought for freedom, racial justice, equality, and for the human dignity of the marginalized and the poor,” said Warnock, the Georgia Democrat who doubles as senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the ‘spiritual home’ of the King family.
“With an eloquence and rhythmic rhetoric all his own, Jesse Jackson reminded America that equal justice is not inevitable; it requires vigilance and commitment, and for freedom fighters, sacrifice. His ministry was poetry and spiritual power in the public square. He advanced King’s dream and bent the arc of history closer to justice,” Warnock said.
South Africa’s president credits Jackson for hastening the end of apartheid
Jackson, who first travelled to South Africa in July 1979, just after Steve Biko’s passing, vigorously advocated for American sanctions on the apartheid regime and supported Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid struggle.
“His campaigns for an end to apartheid included disinvestment from the apartheid economy and challenging the support the regime enjoyed in certain circles and institutions internationally,” President Cyril Ramaphosa said.
“We are deeply indebted to the energy, principled clarity and personal risk with which he supported our struggle and campaigned for freedom and equality in other parts of the world.”
The Rev. Al Sharpton recalls his mentor’s lesson: ‘Faith without action is just noise’
“Today, I lost the man who first called me into purpose when I was just twelve years old. And our nation lost one of its greatest moral voices. The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson was not simply a civil rights leader; he was a movement unto himself. He carried history in his footsteps and hope in his voice,” Sharpton said.
“One of the greatest honors of my life was learning at his side. He reminded me that faith without action is just noise. He taught me that protest must have purpose, that faith must have feet, and that justice is not seasonal, it is daily work.”
The Rev. Martin Luther King’s daughter eulogizes a life in the service of humanity
"He was a gifted negotiator and a courageous bridge‑builder, serving humanity by bringing calm into tense rooms and creating pathways where none existed," the Rev. Bernice King said.
“My family shares a long and meaningful history with him, rooted in a shared commitment to justice and love. As we grieve, we give thanks for a life that pushed hope into weary places.”
An AP Photo Gallery showing glimpses of the life of the civil rights leader
Jackson led a lifetime of crusades in the United States and abroad, advocating for the poor and underrepresented on issues from voting rights and job opportunities to education and health care. AP photo editors curated a gallery.
President Donald Trump says Jackson ‘will be missed’
Trump remembered Jackson in a social media post that called him a “good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’”
The Republican president also described Jackson as “very gregarious -Someone who truly loved people!”
“He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!” Trump wrote.