JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A towering figure in the fight for equality, the Rev. Jesse Jackson has died, leaving behind decades of advocacy for communities across the nation, including in Northeast Florida.
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Jackson’s work in the civil rights movement spanned more than half a century, beginning in the mid-1960s when he joined the struggle against racial segregation and discrimination. Over the years, he became known for his powerful oratory and grassroots organizing, famously declaring, “I may be poor, but I am somebody. I may be on welfare, but I am somebody.”
Even as he battled a rare brain disorder in recent years, Jackson continued his advocacy.
Most recently, he spoke out in support of Jacksonville driver William McNeil Jr., who was violently arrested by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office last year. Jackson also attended the 2022 trial in Brunswick, Georgia, for the men convicted in the killing of Ahmaud Arbery, sitting with the victim’s family in a show of solidarity.
Local civil rights historian and author Rodney Hurst said he first met Jackson as a teenager and recalled the early days of the movement following the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education decision.
“And Jesse, like others, were just dealing with the concept of fighting racism, fighting discrimination,” Hurst said. “These were Black students who knew that something needed to be done, but did not know what.”
Hurst said Jackson possessed an extraordinary ability to inspire action and connect local struggles to a broader national movement.
“This is a man talking about issues that impact Black folk from coast to coast,” Hurst said. “Even though you’re dealing with local problems here in Jacksonville, they’re the same problems Blacks are dealing with in other parts of this country.”
Jackson made several trips to North Florida over the years. In 2002, he eulogized Olympic gold medalist Bob Hayes in Jacksonville. He also attended rallies at Edward Waters College and appeared at the criminal trial of former U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown.
Hurst described Jackson as a “baton passer” who understood the importance of preparing the next generation of leaders.
“Jesse ran the first part of the race quite well,” Hurst said. “But he was always looking to pass the baton.”
Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns challenged long-standing assumptions about who could seek the nation’s highest office. Hurst said those campaigns helped pave the way for the historic election of Barack Obama decades later.
Jackson’s legacy, Hurst said, will endure in the generations of activists and leaders who followed his example.