Presbyterians remember the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s many civil rights contributions
The work of Jackson, who died Tuesday at age 84, often intersected with the work of Presbyterians
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight,’” — Mark 1:2
The Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. died Tuesday morning in Chicago. He was a minister, civil rights royalty, an activist, a husband and a father. As an ordained minister, his activism was deeply rooted in his Christian faith, always advocating for those impoverished, discriminated against, and as Jesus labeled, “the least of these."
According to WBEZ Chicago, “The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. embodied an era of civil rights leadership that relied on a big charismatic personality. And that he was. Tall and handsome, eloquent and fiery, Jackson whipped up crowds — whether in Black churches the way a Baptist pastor is prone to do or with white rural farmers during one of his two historic runs for U.S. president. Perhaps the nation’s most recognizable civil rights icon for the past half-century, Jackson was a symbol of Black politics and Black America.”
While Jackson was a Baptist, his work often intersected with the broader Christian community, including Presbyterians, in the pursuit of social and economic equality. Central Presbyterian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, held a service on Tuesday, the day Jackson died. Simmons College of Kentucky Chief Operating Officer the Rev. Dr. Frank M. Smith Jr. recited “I am … Somebody,” a poem made popular by Jackson. When Smith said the words, “I am ...,” people in attendance responded enthusiastically, saying “... somebody.”
Jackson was active during a time when the struggle for the civil and human rights of African Americans was at its climax. He survived the 1960s and 1970s with a healthy faith and a commitment to making the United States true to its creed.
He was born in an era of intense Jim Crow segregation, yet he was determined to challenge the country to be a more just nation. His faith motivated him to run for the highest office in the land through two campaigns for president, in 1984 in 1988, out of a determination to pursue a goal of fulfilling the dream that his friend and colleague the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died for.
Jackson was in the crowd when Barack Obama accepted the nomination to run for president, tears streaming down Jackson’s face. He was always undeterred in the pursuit of racial justice.
More than anything, Jackson was a man of faith who was motivated and empowered to preach and live the gospel and to work to establish the kingdom of God — not only for African Americans, but for all people. He had a global outreach as he advocated against apartheid, championed Palestinian rights, and negotiated the release of U.S. soldiers in Syria, Iraq, and the former Yugoslavia.
Jackson shares with the Rev. Dr. J. Herbert Nelson II, the former Stated Clerk of the General Assembly of the PC(USA), in having South Carolina as his home state. Their paths crossed when Nelson was a young activist, and Jackson was an inspiration to the young Presbyterian whose family had a long history of advocacy in the state.
Jackson was indeed that voice in the wilderness that was preparing the way of the Lord, the way of justice. Let us continue to march along that path as those who follow the crucified and risen Lord!
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