An American icon and a first hand link to the teachings of Martin Luther King, Jr. – Reverend Jesse Jackson – has passed. Per The Guardian, “Three Democratic former presidents led a wealth of tributes to Jesse Jackson, a ‘titan’ of the civil rights movement and ‘one of America’s greatest patriots’ who has died at the age of 84.
Joe Biden said history would remember Jackson as ‘a man of God and of the people’, calling him in a social media post: ‘Determined and tenacious. Unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of our Nation.’
Biden added: ‘I’ve seen how Reverend Jackson has helped lead our Nation forward through tumult and triumph. He’s done it with optimism, and a relentless insistence on what is right and just.’….
Barack Obama called Jackson ‘a true giant’ in a statement posted on Instagram.
‘For more than 60 years, Reverend Jackson helped lead some of the most significant movements for change in human history. From organizing boycotts and sit-ins, to registering millions of voters, to advocating for freedom and democracy around the world, he was relentless in his belief that we are all children of God, deserving of dignity and respect,’ he said….
‘Michelle and I will always be grateful for Jesse’s lifetime of service, and the friendship our families share. We stood on his shoulders. We send our deepest condolences to the Jackson family and everyone in Chicago and beyond who knew and loved him,’ he said….
Bill Clinton said he and former first lady Hillary Clinton were friends with Jackson for more than five decades, and were ‘deeply saddened’ by his passing.
‘Reverend Jackson championed human dignity and helped create opportunities for countless people to live better lives,’ he said in a statementon Instagram.
‘[He] 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.’….
Donald Trump, in a post on his Truth Social social media platform, called Jackson ‘a good man’ and a ‘friend’, also noting he had provided office space in New York for Jackson’s Rainbow Push Coalition.
Trump’s post, as is often the case, quickly turned political, and about himself. The president attacked the ‘scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left’ who, he said, ‘falsely and consistently’ called him a racist, and sought recognition for ‘funding Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), which Jesse loved’.“
It should be noted that Trump gave a Presidential Freedom medal to a famous radio broadcaster who routinely mocked Jesse Jackson on his show. Why this divisive broadcaster was so honored is another story. Many have come out with plaudits for the life of service for Jackson. Unlike the incumbent president, these commentators did not denigrate others in so doing. I include his message because he did say a couple of kind words for Jackson before he segued.
Jackson stood up for people. We should never forget that key. To some critics, his oratory deflected from his messaging, but at his heart he was a preacher, so speaking poetically should not be frowned upon, in my view. May he RIP.
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