Eulogies are pouring in after the death of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, who led the U.S. Civil Rights Movement for decades. The protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate was 84. Mayor Johnson calling him a mentor and friend. The Mayor ordering Chicago flags across the city to be lowered to half mast in honor of Jackson
Rev. Bernice King
“He was a gifted negotiator and a courageous bridge-builder, serving humanity by bringing calm into tense rooms and creating pathways where none existed.
“My family shares a long and meaningful history with him, rooted in a shared commitment to justice and love. As we grieve, we give thanks for a life that pushed hope into weary places.”
Martin Luther King III and his wife, Arndrea Waters King
“Reverend Jackson was more than a civil rights advocate — he was a living bridge between generations, carrying forward the unfinished work and sacred promise of the Civil Rights Movement.
“He walked with courage when the road was uncertain, spoke with conviction when the truth was inconvenient, and stood with the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten when it was not popular to do so.”
Rev. Al Sharpton
“Today, I lost the man who first called me into purpose when I was just twelve years old. And our nation lost one of its greatest moral voices. The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson was not simply a civil rights leader; he was a movement unto himself. He carried history in his footsteps and hope in his voice. One of the greatest honors of my life was learning at his side. He reminded me that faith without action is just noise. He taught me that protest must have purpose, that faith must have feet, and that justice is not seasonal, it is daily work.”
President Donald Trump
“I knew him well, long before becoming President. He was a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’ He was very gregarious – Someone who truly loved people! … Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him.”
Former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
“We were friends for almost fifty years since we met in 1977 at the 20th anniversary of the integration of Little Rock Central High. … Reverend Jackson championed human dignity and helped create opportunities for countless people to live better lives. Throughout it all, he kept marching to the music of his conscience, his convictions, and his causes.”
Former President Joe Biden
“Reverend Jackson influenced generations of Americans, and countless elected leaders, including Presidents.
“Reverend Jackson believed in his bones the promise of America: that we are all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. While we’ve never fully lived up to that promise, he dedicated his life to ensuring we never fully walked away from it either.”
National Civil Rights Museum
“He was a frequent presence during our April 4th commemorations of Dr. King’s assassination at the Lorraine Motel, not as a guest, but as a witness to history and a steward of King’s unfinished work. His words, presence, and leadership during those solemn remembrances reminded us all of the price of freedom and the urgency of our continued struggle.” — The National Civil Rights Museum is located on the site of the former Lorraine Motel where King was assassinated
Sen. Raphael Warnock
“With an eloquence and rhythmic rhetoric all his own, Jesse Jackson reminded America that equal justice is not inevitable; it requires vigilance and commitment, and for freedom fighters, sacrifice. His ministry was poetry and spiritual power in the public square. He advanced King’s dream and bent the arc of history closer to justice.” — Warnock is a senator from Georgia and senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where King pastored for a time
NAACP
“Reverend Jesse Jackson was not only a civil rights icon—he was family to the NAACP. His work advanced Black America at every turn. He challenged this nation to live up to its highest ideals, and he reminded our movement that hope is both a strategy and a responsibility. His historic run for president inspired millions and brought race to the forefront of American politics.” — NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell, Vice Chair Karen Boykin Towns and President & CEO Derrick Johnson
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa
“His campaigns for an end to apartheid included disinvestment from the apartheid economy and challenging the support the regime enjoyed in certain circles and institutions internationally.
“We are deeply indebted to the energy, principled clarity and personal risk with which he supported our struggle and campaigned for freedom and equality in other parts of the world.”
Marc H. Morial
“Of the generation that took up the mantle directly from Dr. King, Jesse Jackson stood among the last standard-bearers. … He created what he often called ‘productive tension,’ forcing the nation to confront its conscience and act.” — Morial is the National Urban League president and CEO
Ben Crump
“Because of Reverend Jackson, millions were empowered to say, ‘I am somebody.’ His legacy is woven into every advancement in voting rights, economic justice, and civil rights over the last half-century.” — Crump is a prominent civil rights attorney
Rev. William Barber
“Indeed, Jesse Jackson was a gift from God and a witness that God exists in the ways he cared for and lifted all people, the way he called forth a rainbow coalition of people to challenge economic and social inequality from the pulpit to a historic presidential run, the way he dared to keep hope alive whenever the nation struggled with being who she says she is and yet ought to be.” — Barber is a minister and activist
Kelley Robinson
“His historic presidential campaigns paved the way for generations of Black leaders to imagine ourselves in rooms we were once told were closed to us. Reverend Jackson also stood up when it mattered; when it wasn’t easy and when it wasn’t popular. His support for marriage equality and for LGBTQ+ people affirmed a simple, powerful truth: our liberation is bound together.” — Robinson is president of the Human Rights Campaign, a national LGBTQ+ rights organization
