Rest In Power, Rev. Jesse Jackson
- Leslie Lewis (she/her)
- Feb 17
- 2 min read
We woke up today to the news that this pioneer of Civil Rights has passed on to eternal life. Yesterday was President Obama day, and Rev. Jackson's revolutionary candidacy in the '80s paved the way for the first Black president of the US, and the first Black Vice President Kamala Harris.
Rest in Power, Rev. Jackson. Thank you for your incredible service to our country and our world. You fought for justice your entire adult life, and it was an honor to know you. We will always remember the principles of the Rainbow Coalition, and that we need to Keep Hope Alive.
When I was 19, The Honorable Rev. Jesse Jackson, came to my university campus to speak. I felt called to stand up to ask him a question, and my father, Reginald F Lewis, happened to be watching the broadcast on C-Span, and heard me. I knew it made him really happy that I had spoken up in that way. That was how we were taught. This was just before my dad's death, so it's a poignant memory for me, that his daughter made him proud in front of his friend.
In my father's book, he talks about how Jesse Jackson’s bid for the presidency in 1984 inspired him to reach for the stars himself, and gave him strength to close the deal to buy the McCall Pattern company that same year. My father donated to and hosted fundraisers for both of Rev. Jackson's presidential campaigns. I just received an email from someone who attended one of those fundraisers, about how much it impacted her.
The indelible impact of Rev. Jackson's life, continues on.
Equity through equities.
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