JESSE JACKSON: A LIFE OF FAITH, FIGHTING, AND FAITHFUL SERVICE

By Cliff Potts, CSO, and Editor-in-Chief of WPS News

Baybay City, Leyte, Philippines — February 22, 2026

A Life Rooted in Faith and Purpose

Jesse Louis Jackson was born in Greenville, South Carolina, in 1941 into a world still bound by Jim Crow segregation. From those beginnings, he rose not by abandoning his roots but by sharpening his sense of purpose in response to them. The church was his first platform — not as a pulpit for comfort, but as a foundation for action.

Jackson’s faith was not abstract. For him, Jesus’s teachings were mandates for justice. That belief led him to join the civil-rights movement of the 1960s and to work alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He absorbed the message that equality was not a gift but a right to be demanded. When Dr. King was assassinated in 1968, Jackson did not retreat. Instead, he carried the torch forward, joining with others to continue the march for voting rights, fair housing, economic opportunity, and human dignity.

Standing Up When It Counted

Across decades, Jackson made himself a presence where people needed a voice. He marched with striking workers, challenged corporations to hire fairly, and confronted political leaders when their actions contradicted their words. He knew that “representation” meant not just seeing people at the table, but ensuring their interests were heard and acted upon.

Jackson’s work on behalf of disenfranchised voters was central to his legacy. In the 1980s, he built a coalition that brought together Black, white, Latino, and poor communities — a forerunner to what is now called the “rainbow coalition.” In doing so, he pushed American politics to recognize that economic justice and civil rights are inseparable. Voting was a tool for power, and power ought to be shared, not hoarded.

These efforts weren’t always admired by the powerful. Jackson was frequently dismissed by pundits, mocked by opponents, and resisted by those who preferred the status quo. Yet he persisted, reminding Americans that justice has a rhythm that often beats against the comfortable and the complacent.

A Presidential Run with a Message

Jackson’s two presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 were historic. He didn’t win the nomination, but he reshaped the conversation within the Democratic Party. His candidacy brought attention to issues others were reluctant to touch: the crushing weight of poverty in America’s cities; the corrosive effects of systemic racism; the need for peace and diplomacy abroad.

In 1988, when he spoke of “jobs, peace, and freedom,” he wasn’t just offering slogans. He was demanding that political leaders confront the realities millions of Americans lived every day. His campaigns energized younger activists and showed a generation that politics could be a vehicle for real change, not just insider jockeying.

Beyond Politics: Humanitarian and Moral Witness

Jackson’s work extended beyond elections and legislation. He was a negotiator in international crises, working to secure the release of hostages and civilians in conflict zones. His moral authority, grounded in years of activism and spiritual conviction, gave him a platform that few could ignore.

Whether addressing hunger in America or advocating for human rights overseas, Jackson acted with urgency and compassion. He believed that power should serve the powerless. That conviction made him a bridge figure — someone who could walk into tense situations and insist on dignity for all involved.

Legacy: A Call to the Next Generation

Jesse Jackson’s death on February 17, 2026, at age 84, marks the end of a life that refused to accept inequality as inevitable. But his legacy is not simply historical; it is instructional. He taught that resistance to injustice is not a moment but a lifetime’s work. He insisted that faith without action is hollow, and that democracy demands participation, not passivity.

As America — and the world — reflects on his contributions, the question is not whether Jackson was great, but whether we will carry forward what he fought for. Will we confront voter suppression with the same intensity he did? Will we push institutions that perpetuate poverty to change? Will we speak for those who have been taught to fear their own voices?

Remembering the Reverend

Reverend Jesse Jackson stood on the side of the downtrodden, the ignored, and the dismissed. He carried their stories into the halls of power, refusing to let comfortable majorities forget uncomfortable truths. His was a life of belief made real: belief in God, belief in justice, and belief in people who had been told their lives mattered less.

In honoring his memory, we honor not just his victories, but his courage to take up every fight that others feared. That is the measure of his contribution, and the inheritance he leaves behind.