Earlier this morning, I learned about the passing of the Reverend Jesse Jackson.
Jackson was the last surviving prominent figure of the American Civil Rights movement of the 1960's. He stood close to the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. at the Lorraine Hotel in Memphis, Tennessee, on the day when Martin Luther King, Jr. was shot.
Jesse Jackson continued to advocate civil rights. During the 1980's, he ran twice for the White House. I remember him making a splash in 1984, yet it was in 1988 when he temporarily became the frontrunner for the Democratic nominee. In the end, however, Michael Dukakis won the primary. Despite being too young to vote, Jackson was my preferred candidate both in 1984 and 1988, although it was clear that he really had no chance of winning the Democratic primary, let alone the general election.
He had a bizarre relationship with eventual President Barack Obama, having been caught saying something when he thought that the microphones had been turned off (I think he claimed he wanted to cut is nuts off). Nevertheless, Jackson could be seen in tears once Obama actually won the White House on Election Day in 2008.
Strangely, I actually saw Jesse Jackson in person, although it was quite accidental. My brother and a friend of mine and I went to Washington to protest the Iraq war, back in either 2002 or 2003. Suddenly, everyone stopped to listen to a man speaking maybe a hundred feet behind us. It was Jesse Jackson, and he was leading a prayer.
Anyway, it seemed worth nothing his passing today.
Rest In Peace, Jesse Jackson.
No comments:
Post a Comment