The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate who led the Civil Rights Movement for decades after the revered leader’s assassination, has died. He was 84.
Jackson died Tuesday surrounded by family, according to a statement posted online from the family.
As a young organizer in Chicago, Jackson was called to meet with King at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis shortly before King was killed and he publicly positioned himself thereafter as King’s successor.
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,” Jackson intoned.
It was a message he took literally and personally, having risen from obscurity in the segregated South to become America’s best-known civil rights activist since King.
Jackson’s voice, infused with the stirring cadences and powerful insistence of the Black church, demanded attention. On the campaign trail and elsewhere, he used rhyming and slogans such as: “Hope not dope” and “If my mind can conceive it and my heart can believe it then I can achieve it,″ to deliver his messages.
Jackson had his share of critics, both within and outside of the Black community. Some considered him a grandstander, too eager to seek out the spotlight. Looking back on his life and legacy, Jackson told The Associated Press in 2011 that he felt blessed to be able to continue the service of other leaders before him and to lay a foundation for those to come.
“A part of our life’s work was to tear down walls and build bridges, and in a half century of work, we’ve basically torn down walls,” Jackson said. “Sometimes when you tear down walls, you’re scarred by falling debris, but your mission is to open up holes so others behind you can run through.”
In his final months, as he received 24-hour care, he lost his ability to speak, communicating with family and visitors by holding their hands and squeezing.
“I get very emotional knowing that these speeches belong to the ages now,” his son, Jesse Jackson Jr., told the AP in October.
(AP)
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14 Responses
He’s a filthy antisemite and racist. Good riddance. Now he won’t be able to spit into white people’s soup that he waiters nor will he ever again have to visit hymietown.
Another Jew hater in his way to Gehanim. He teamed up with sharpton and was a hater of our prople.
Ain vaineger soineh in der velt. BH. Zuhl ehr gain shoyn in der erdt fahr der vermer eim tzu fressen.
His mentor, MLK was not an anti Semite but his protégé was a racist: he’s Al Sharpton’s mentor!
He bragged that he spit into the food of “Waat Main” when he was a waiter!
He called New York Hymie Town.
He was a racist par excellence!
You can mention his association with Louis Farrakhan, as well as his ‘Hymietown’ and ‘Hymies’ comments, despite his later apologies.
Good riddance! Hope Farrakhan and Sharpton follow him quickly.
משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה.
Of-course his corpse shall be able to fast this Ramadan.
Baruch Dayan HaEmes. A true hero and warrior against Zionist occupation has passed away. ת.נ.צ.ב.ה.
And to all the commenters posting vile, abusive comments against Rev. Jackson, know that you are violating the Shalosh Shevuos by being מתגרה באומות which is worse than all the other aveiros in the Torah according to the Satmar Rav זצ”ל, in addition to making a tremendous Chillul Hashem. Rachmono Litzlan!!
His legacy with the Jewish Community should not only be about his Hymietown comments over 40 years ago. I know he did attempt to recocnile with the Jewish Community since then. But I don’t know everything about his relationship with the Jewish Community since then. Nor am I saying we shoud not hold his legacy accountable for those shameful comments.
another black racist who won’t be missed.
Chasdei Hashem
GottaHaveEmunah,
Amein!
@Yossi name whatever
I appreciate your point, but theres something called taking a valid concern too far.
I agree It isnt for us to pick fights, rather we should keep our chin up nose down. That is the Authentic Yiddishe way.
But to say that its worse than any Aveira? Thats not a winning argument, I dont think anyone else holds that even if the Satmar Rebbe Ztz”l did.
Besides, just because you shouldnt pick fights, doesnt mean you should praise “oseh Resha” that is called being a Chossid Shoteh that is “mevaleh ha’olam” and is also a cause for Chillul r”l.
And furthermore, there is a lot to be said about changing the landscape and culture of a city with large influx of people, including crowding, lifestyle etc, that can be argued as being מגרה just as well. So lets hold off on attacking are own yea?
We got enough problems.
He was a grifter, who enriched himself by outright extortion. He would approach businesses and demand a large sum of money, threatening that if they refused to pay he would accuse them of racism and bring out his troops to destroy the business. Anyone else who did that would have been arrested, but he had immunity.