The World Mourns as Jesse Jackson Joins Martin Luther King in heaven

By Damola Emmanuel

The world has lost one of the most outstanding defenders of the voiceless and most potent advocate for justice and human liberties, Rev. Jesse Jackson, Snr., who died Tuesday at the age of 84.

The Jackson Family announced the passing of the icon on Tuesday, saying he died peacefully at home, surrounded by his Family.

As he was in life, so he is in death. Phenomenal. A protégé of the great Martin Luther King Jnr, Jackson ran for president in 1984, exited the world’s stage at 84, and passed on during the Black History Month, also called African American History Month, February.

February in America is a month-long celebration of African American history, culture and achievement, and it is often observed through educational programmes and events in the United States and a number of other countries round the world.

Announcing his death, the Jackson Family eulogized their departed patriarch’s “unwavering commitment to justice, equality, and human rights helped shape a global movement for freedom and dignity. A tireless change agent, he elevated the voices of the voiceless … leaving an indelible mark on history.

“Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world… We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family. His unwavering belief in justice, equality, and love uplifted millions, and we ask you to honor his memory by continuing the fight for the values he lived by.”

Though the obituary announcement did not state cause of death, it is common knowledge that the tireless rights and human diginity advocate had a long history of progressive supranuclear palsy, a condition similar to Parkinson’s disease. In fact he was hospitalised last November 12, and was only released last month.

As Jesse Jackson reunites with Martin Luther King Jnr in heaven, the world remembers the titanic battle he and King fought for voting rights for blacks as well as civil liberties not only in America but around the world.He stood side-by-side with King in decades-long campaign for human rights and voting rights in the United States, shaming corporations, negotiating with world leaders.

In mourning the legend’s passing, the world also celebrates the Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, a former Democratic presidential candidate, for his roles as one of the world’s best-known and most impactful Black activists. He was consequential and influential. His legacies will remain indelible.

In a tribute on Facebook, fellow civil rights leader, the Rev. Al Sharpton called his mentor “a consequential and transformative leader who changed this nation and the world.”

“He kept the dream alive and taught young children from broken homes, like me, that we don’t have broken spirits. A giant has gone home.”

Also writing on X, Sharpton said: “Today, I lost the man who first called me into purpose when I was just twelve years old. And our nation lost one of its greatest moral voices. The Reverend Dr. Jesse Louis Jackson was not simply a civil rights leader; he was a movement unto himself.”

In a statement, Sen. Raphael Warnock, Democrat from Georgia, said: “America has lost one of its great moral voices.”

Warnock, who shared the impact that Jesse Jackson’s presidential run had on him as a child, while recognizing the late civil rights icon for being a champion of “racial justice”, continued:

“From his early days as a young staffer with Dr. King onto the national stage, he fought for freedom, racial justice, equality, and for the human dignity of the marginalized and the poor. 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.”

The clergyman-turned-Democratic Party senator, also remembered Jackson as a gifted orator, saying, “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.”

Jackson’s “legacy will remain a beacon for generations to come, and I pray it inspires us to continue the work he started”, Warnock added.

Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., posted a photograph of her father with Jesse Jackson with the caption “both now ancestors”.

Then, in a statement, she wrote that Jesse Jackson “devoted his life to lifting people in poverty, the marginalized, and those pushed to society’s edges.”

She described him as a “gifted negotiator and a courageous bridgebuilder, serving humanity by bringing calm into tense rooms and creating pathways where none existed”.

“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,” King further wrote.

The 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, took to his verified X, @BarackObama, and eulogised Jackson, a powerful force that paved the way to his emergence as the first Black President  of the United States.