Honoring the Legacy of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.
The impact of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.’s life work is indelible across the globe and certainly in our hearts. He was a giant amongst giants, and he was a servant of the people — dedicated to uplifting those in the margins and inspiring hope.
Amongst emerging social justice leaders, he was a bridge and often helped to illustrate the parallels between historical civil rights movements and the present day. He articulated calls to action unapologetically alongside his faith — reminiscent of his iconic mentor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Personally, he showed up for my family during our tragic loss when a gunman killed my cousin and other worshippers during mid-week bible study at Mother Emanuel AME Church of Charleston. I recall the poignancy of the moment when he reminded us of church bombings of the Civil Rights era — used as cowardly acts of intimidation to silence movement work. It was not lost on me that the violent attack on a historic Black church — the home church of Denmark Vesey and the hometown of Robert Smalls — came amidst the backdrop of a 21st-century movement for Black lives and a rising Black Lives Matter resistance. Rev. Jackson was pastoral in his address to our family and community. He was also a teacher and cultural griot, holding up a mirror to America’s gruesome past.
Rev. Jackson offered us teachable moments across generations for transforming grief into calls to action, accountability, and a deepening of our faith. He taught us how to show up with love resounding louder than hate. He was a trailblazer running for something far greater than the White House. He was helping us to prophetically imagine a world of inclusivity. He was manifesting a future hope where divine mountaintop dreams would not be deferred. They live on through Rainbow PUSH and the full measure of Rev. Jackson’s incomparable legacy.
I had the esteemed honor to interview and profile Rev. Jackson for our alma mater’s alumni magazine at Chicago Theological Seminary. He refused a phone interview, inviting me to his family’s home instead. He was generous with his time and full of grace and humor. We talked about Operation Bread Basket,which he founded on the seminary’s Hyde Park campus. He was deeply reminiscent of being a student of the movement and the urgency of mentoring and supporting movement leaders decrying racism today.
Rev. Jackson’s legacy, the generosity of the Jackson family, and the continued work of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition cannot be taken for granted. We are privileged to be witnesses to over five decades of resilient revolutionary leadership from South Carolina and Chicago’s Southside to the nation’s capital, and to the world. We have been witnesses to the student who became the teacher — the pupil who became the preacher — and the young activist who is now an ancestor bearing witness to us amongst a great cloud of witnesses.
Rev. Jackson is legendary in our hearts forever. The Beloved Community of Community Renewal Society is humbled and grateful for our collaborative mission and work alongside PUSH throughout the years. Thank you, Rev. Jackson. Our love and prayers are with the Jackson family and all who celebrate his life and beautiful ministry of service.
Rest in peace and power.
Rev. Dr. Waltrina N. Middleton
Executive Director
And the staff of Community Renewal Society