
The Civil Rights Movement was in chaos in 1968. The man with the dream, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., had been assassinated in April. With the King gone, who would ascend the throne?
Jesse Jackson, stepped up. Dr. King had appointed him national program director of Operation Breadbasket. The program’s foundational principle was, “If you respect my dollar, you must respect my person.” Dr. King had used this principle to craft a Christmas campaign that Jackson would see to completion.
Jesse Jackson knew he had to continue the Black Christmas Campaign, Dr. King’s plan to encourage Black people to do their holiday shopping at Black-owned stores. Jackson would take it a step further, organizing a Christmas parade in Chicago to spread Dr. King’s message of Black economic empowerment.
The parade was led by Chicago’s prominent Black leaders and business owners. Operation Breadbasket brought $57 million into Chicago’s Black community, generated by Black-owned businesses, the sale of Black products, and the hiring of Black employees.
The Black Christmas Parade reminds us of our economic power and the ability to continue the work of our ancestors. Jesse Jackson could have given up. Instead, he readily picked up the torch, continuing King’s mission on behalf of the Black community.