“Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson was a man who, when the poor and the dispossessed needed a champion and the country needed healing, stepped forward again and again and again and said, ‘Send me.'” —Barack Obama
“It’s hard to imagine how we could have come as far as we have without the creative power, the keen intellect, the loving heart, and the relentless passion of Jesse Louis Jackson.” —Bill Clinton
“We knew he was going to do a good job, but he’s done better than a good job.” —Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., devoted his life to lifting people in poverty, the marginalized, and those pushed to society’s edges. Through Operation PUSH, he pushed barriers and opened doors so Black people and other excluded communities could step into opportunity and dignity.” —Reverend Dr. Bernice King
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.” —Al Sharpton
“The Reverend taught me so many things through the enormity of his leadership, his passion, and his endless sacrifices for ‘the least of these.’ He taught everybody that we are somebody, and his spirit will endure forever.” —Bobby Rush
“It was amazing to see a politician light up the room in the way he did. It was affirming to see a Black man—with the cadence of the Black preachers I grew up watching—speaking and giving hope to this multi-racial crowd of delegates.” —John Legend
“Reverend Jackson gave a voice to people who were removed from power and politics. He let us know our voices mattered. He instilled in us that we were somebody. And he widened the path for generations follow in his footsteps and lead.” —Kamala Harris
“Rev. Jesse Jackson [was] a giant of the civil rights movement who never stopped demanding that America live up to its promise.
He marched, he ran, he organized and he preached justice without apology.
May we honor him not just in words, but in struggle.” —Zohran Mamdani
“A life that inspired and a voice that will echo forever.” —Tyler Perry
“Rev. Jackson was a giant of the Civil Rights Movement and a relentless advocate for racial justice. His work was about power: who gets to vote, who gets hired, who gets seen, who gets protected, and who gets heard.” —Nadine Smith, President and CEO of Color of Change
“America has lost one of its great moral voices. Rev. Jesse Jackson spent his life working to ensure our nation lives up to its highest ideals.” —Senator Raphael Warnock
“The great Reverend Jesse Jackson was a barrier-breaking civil rights giant who spent his life working to improve lives by helping patch America together into a great quilt of unity and common ground. He leaves behind a legacy Chicago and our nation will never forget—we are better because of him.” —Senator Tammy Duckworth
“Reverend Jesse Jackson committed his life to the fight for civil rights. I counted him as an ally on many issues of social justice—and his legacy is alive and growing.” —Senator Dick Durban
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