Jackson, Jesse (1941—)

Jesse L. Jackson was an early activist in the civil rights movement. A follower of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Jackson was with King in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968. After King's death, Jackson continued his work in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference but left that organization as a result of conflicts with other organization leaders. Continuing his civil rights work, Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) and later the Rainbow Coalition, which merged with Operation PUSH in 1996.

As an African American leader, Jackson has been an agitator for civil rights internationally as well as in the United States. He has injected himself into situations and advocated, sometimes successfully, for the release of prisoners or captives in Syria, Cuba, and Yugoslavia. However, his controversial meetings with Venezuela's Hugo Chavez earned Jackson criticism from some religious leaders.

Jackson has made two bids for the U.S. presidency, seeking the Democratic Party nomination. In 1984, Jackson had some initial success, winning five state primaries, but ultimately lost the nomination to Walter Mondale. In 1988, Jackson again had some early success but was eventually denied the Democratic nomination, which went to Michael Dukakis. Jackson's political views, as expressed in these presidential bids, were considered decidedly liberal and included payment of restoration to descendants of American Black slaves, rescinding tax cuts put in place by the Reagan administration, establishing more public works projects and reinstituting New Deal–type programs.

Jackson has given important national addresses at the Democratic national conventions. His keynote address at the 1984 Democratic Convention and his speech at the 1988 convention are considered among his best and are often studied and held up as examples of great speeches.

Although Jackson did not succeed in his own campaigns for elective office, his son Jesse Jackson, Jr., is a U.S congressman from Illinois.

There have been some difficult times in Jackson's career. Controversies over extramarital relationships and accusations of financial misdeeds have sometimes plagued his operations. Nonetheless, his communication style, his rousing rhetorical skills, and his commitment to the African American cause have earned him an important place in American political history.