Carry The Torch
When Dr. Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in 1968, Jesse Jackson was the national director of Operation Breadbasket, an organization dedicated to creating economic opportunities in Black communities. After King’s death, Jackson picked up the torch. That December, he led a Black Christmas Campaign in Chicago, encouraging Black people to do their holiday shopping at Black-owned stores. He arranged a parade to spread Dr. King’s message of Black economic empowerment, and generated $57 million for the city’s Black businesses.
Jackson’s commitment reminds us that persistence is necessary in the struggle for Black liberation.
Lay The Foundation
Before Barack Obama became president in 2008, Jesse Jackson had laid the groundwork with two previous runs. Jackson’s campaign message, “Keeping Hope Alive,” foreshadowed Obama’s hopeful message of “Yes, We Can.” Jackson didn’t realize his presidential aspirations, but he knew he had inspired the next generation.
“I Am Somebody.”
A gifted preacher, Jackson inspired millions of us to remember who we are. He’d often energize his audiences with a call-and-response message of self-determination, for example, “I am Black, beautiful, proud. I must be respected. I must be protected. I am somebody.
Jackson’s legacy reminds us of this truth: We’ve always had the power, skills, tools, and will to make a way. Let’s channel that energy into continuing forward toward a beautiful, liberated future for ourselves.