July 16th 2023.
The Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr is retiring from his position as the head of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition after spending a lifetime in service to others. In 2017, Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease and has since suffered a fall and hospitalization due to COVID-19.
Rainbow PUSH Coalition is the result of a merger between the National Rainbow Coalition and People United to Save Humanity, formed in response to “Reaganomics”, which aimed to make the country a more inclusive environment. In 1996, the mission of the coalition was to protect, defend, and gain civil rights by leveling educational and economic playing fields and promoting peace and justice around the world.
Jackson, a protege of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, made two runs at the White House and had the most successful run at the presidential office by a Black person in American history until Barack Obama’s win in 2008. Despite his diagnosis, Rainbow PUSH Coalition released a statement to the Chicago Sun-Times that Jackson is determined to continue his life’s work “by teaching ministers how to fight for social justice and continue the freedom movement”.
Throughout his life, Jackson has been a moral force of the nation, from the 1965 Selma, Alabama march, known as Bloody Sunday, to the George Floyd protests of 2020. Rev. Al Sharpton released a statement on Twitter expressing his appreciation for Jackson’s service and reflecting on what he meant to Sharpton personally. Vice-President Kamala Harris will be the keynote speaker at the convention.
Jackson is one of the last living links to Martin Luther King Jr and his legacy will continue to be remembered by many for the impact he had on their lives. His commitment to service is an example for us all to follow.
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