Articles on Jesse Jackson

Displaying all articles

Jesse Jackson remained a fixture throughout his life at civil rights marches and Democratic Party events. Here, in 2025, he crossed the Pettus Bridge in Selma with other Black leaders, including U.S. Reps. Hakeem Jeffries and Maxine Waters. AP Photo/Mike Stewart

How Jesse Jackson was shaped by Southern segregation − and went on to reshape American political life

A civil rights activist who ran for president twice and became a Democratic power broker, Jackson was an American political icon. But above all, he was a Southerner.
Jesse Jackson is flanked by his sons as he makes a guest appearance on a New York radio show in August 1988. (AP Photo/Frankie Ziths)

How Jesse Jackson’s populist fight for economic and racial justice resonates today

Jesse Jackson proved in the 1980s that white working-class voters will support racialized candidates if their message is right. This could bode well for Kamala Harris.

Top contributors

More