Press Conference with the family of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.

Reverend Jesse Jackson's children highlighted his lifelong dedication to public service, beginning with his activism against Jim Crow laws at 17. They noted his decision to become a seminarian over a law student, and his subsequent work with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which he never wavered from. His efforts included desegregating lunch counters, leading Selma marches, and establishing Operation Breadbasket, PUSH Excel, and the Rainbow Coalition.

Santita Jackson stated, 'He was first a seminarian... he went on to work for Dr. King. So he had a godly calling, but he had an assignment from Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, which he never wavered from throughout his life.' Jesse Jackson Jr. recounted his father's arrest at 17 for protesting to use a public library.

The family framed Reverend Jackson's passing not as an end, but as a transition of responsibility. They asserted that the fight for freedom, dignity, and the marginalized is a continuous struggle, urging a new generation to take up the 'mantle' and utilize the 'techniques, tools, policy goals, and platforms' he championed. This includes advocating for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) despite political challenges.

Jonathan Jackson stated, 'This mantle of standing up for freedom, standing up for dignity, standing up for those that have been marginalized is now passed on. Not to be inherited by a person, but to be taken over and taken up by another generation.' Jesse Jackson Jr. affirmed, 'We've never retreated from the term DEI... it is something that we're unashamed of.'

Jesse Jackson Jr. challenged the media's historical portrayal of his father, arguing that it often created a 'caricature' that minimized his multinational impact and made him seem more controversial than he was. He noted that social media is now providing a more accurate depiction of Jackson's work, independent of traditional institutional media narratives, and predicted that 'history is going to be far kinder to Jesse Jackson than the life that he lived.'

Jesse Jackson Jr. stated, 'The caricature that you've created as a media of who our father is is not the reality of who we know him to be. So what's happening now on social media is more accurate depiction of the work of Jesse Jackson. and it's happening and occurring without you.'

The family emphasized the profound importance of love, family unity, and maintaining open lines of communication, both personally and politically. They shared personal anecdotes about always telling their father 'I love you' and his ability to turn 'foes into friends' by insisting on dialogue. This principle extends to national discourse, advocating for continued conversation even amidst differences.

Jonathan Jackson shared, 'Always tell the people that you love that you love them.' Santita Jackson noted, 'He said, "You don't have enemies. We have opponents. But through it all, we must always speak to each other. We must keep the lines of communication open."'