Jesse Jackson Remembered As Bridge Builder, Civil Rights Crusader

Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson was remembered for his mentorship, public service, courage and humanity in personal tributes shared immediately following news of the death of the ordained minister and two-time presidential contender on Tuesday.

The Rev. Al Sharpton credited Jackson, 84, as a constant teacher and mentor in his life and in his children’s lives who “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,” Sharpton, who was 13 years Jackson’s junior, said in a statement.

Sharpton shared photos of him with Jackson before his death and said that he prayed with Jackson’s family by phone.

“He kept the dream alive and taught young children from broken homes, like me, that we don’t have broken spirits. He told us we were somebody and made us believe. I will always cherish him taking me under his wing, and I will forever try to do my part to keep hope alive,” he wrote. “A giant has gone home.”

Bernice King, the daughter of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr., hailed Jackson as dedicating his life to public service and lifting those living in poverty, marginalized and “pushed to society’s edges.”

“He was a gifted negotiator and a courageous bridge‑builder, serving humanity by bringing calm into tense rooms and creating pathways where none existed,” she wrote. “My family shares a long and meaningful history with him, rooted in a shared commitment to justice and love. As we grieve, we give thanks for a life that pushed hope into weary places.”

Martin Luther King III and his wife Arndrea Waters King hailed Jackson as “a towering voice and a devoted servant of justice.”

“Reverend Jackson was more than a civil rights advocate — he was a living bridge between generations, carrying forward the unfinished work and sacred promise of the Civil Rights Movement,” the couple said in a statement. “He walked with courage when the road was uncertain, spoke with conviction when the truth was inconvenient, and stood with the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten when it was not popular to do so.”

Fellow civil rights leader and former U.N. ambassador Andrew Young remembered Jackson as “always trying to look out for other people,” in comments to CNN.

“Jesse Jackson and I met in Selma. He was still a student,” he recalled their meeting during a protest in Alabama. Young helped plan the city’s 1965 voting rights demonstrations with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

“He came up to me that night and he said, ‘Look, I can hold this place for you. You really need to go get some sleep,’” Young said. “I was very grateful. And from then on, he was always a young man looking at how he could help somebody.”

Young said he later told King Jr. about Jackson, saying when they’re in Chicago “we need to look him up.”

Jackson ended up looking them up instead, he said, and they became “good friends.”

President Donald Trump also recognized Jackson as “a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts’ in a statement that heavily touted his own claimed civil rights efforts and that disparaged former President Barack Obama.

“Despite the fact that I am falsely and consistently called a Racist by the Scoundrels and Lunatics on the Radical Left, Democrats ALL, it was always my pleasure to help Jesse along the way,” wrote Trump.

“Jesse was a force of nature like few others before him. He had much to do with the Election, without acknowledgment or credit, of Barack Hussein Obama, a man who Jesse could not stand. He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!” he wrote.

Former President Joe Biden recognized his decades-long friendship and partnership with Jackson while calling him “a man of God and of the people.”

“Determined and tenacious. Unafraid of the work to redeem the soul of our Nation,” he said in a statement. “I’ve seen how Reverend Jackson has helped lead our Nation forward through tumult and triumph. He’s done it with optimism, and a relentless insistence on what is right and just. Whether through impassioned words on the campaign trail, or moments of quiet courage, Reverend Jackson influenced generations of Americans, and countless elected leaders, including Presidents.”

“Reverend Jackson believed in his bones the promise of America: that we are all created equal in the image of God and deserve to be treated equally throughout our lives. While we’ve never fully lived up to that promise, he dedicated his life to ensuring we never fully walked away from it either,” he said

Former Vice President Kamala Harris called Jackson “one of America’s greatest patriots” who “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 to follow in his footsteps and lead,” she wrote.

In law school, Harris said she had a bumper sticker on her car reading “Jesse Jackson for President.” It received a surprising amount of honks and thumbs up from “people from every walk of life.”

“They were small interactions, but they exemplified Reverend Jackson’s life work — lifting up the dignity of working people, building community and coalitions, and strengthening our democracy and nation. I was proud to partner with and learn from him on this work throughout my career, and I am so grateful for the time we spent together this January. Reverend Jackson was a selfless leader, mentor, and friend to me and so many others,” she wrote.

Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) also memorialized Jackson as a friend, childhood inspiration and one of the country’s “great moral voices.”

“As a kid growing up in public housing while watching him run for President, Rev. Jesse Jackson gave me a glimpse of what is possible and taught me to say, ‘I am somebody!’ As an adult, I was proud to call him a friend,” wrote Warnock. “With an eloquence and rhythmic rhetoric all his own, Jesse Jackson reminded America that equal justice is not inevitable; it requires vigilance and commitment, and for freedom fighters, sacrifice. His ministry was poetry and spiritual power in the public square. He advanced King’s dream and bent the arc of history closer to justice.”

Former Georgia state Representative and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams said Jackson “understood the immense promise of America and his role in shaping its destiny.”

“With courage, tenacity and an audacious spirit, he widened our capacity for imagining true unity and deepened our commitment to justice for all. I was one of the lucky beneficiaries of a vision he never forsook,” she wrote.

House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) called Jackson “a legendary voice for the voiceless, powerful civil rights champion and trailblazer extraordinaire.”

“For decades, while laboring in the vineyards of the community, he inspired us to keep hope alive in the struggle for liberty and justice for all. We are thankful for his incredible service to the nation and his profound sacrifice as the people’s champion. May he forever rest in power,” he wrote.

Former Transportation Secretary and presidential contender Pete Buttigieg called Jackson “a titan in the struggle for civil rights and racial justice.”

“From his days at the side of Dr. King, to his moral leadership in this century, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. spent his life pushing our nation closer to its own ideal. As we pray for his family and loved ones, we should also mark his passing by recommitting ourselves to the vision of a fully free and just society,” he said.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, in his own post, called Jackson “a change maker, a boundary breaker, and a passionate and unrelenting crusader for civil rights, equality and opportunity. To be around him felt like you were experiencing history.”

“It was an honor to share the pulpit with him back in September of 2016 at Sharon Baptist Church in West Philly. I hung on his every word and could feel how much his presence meant to the congregation,” he wrote with a photo of them together.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.