Black History Month 2026

Honoring Influential Black Americans

Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

October 8, 1941 – February 17, 2026
Civil Rights Leader • Presidential Candidate • Advocate for Economic Justice

Reverend Jesse Jackson is a nationally recognized civil rights leader whose activism helped shape modern political engagement in California and across the United States. A close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson founded the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and twice ran for President, building multiracial political coalitions that energized voters nationwide. His campaigns significantly mobilized California’s diverse electorate and expanded the national conversation on economic justice, voting rights, and inclusion.

Quick Facts
  • Born: October 8, 1941 — Greenville, SC
  • Died: February 17, 2026
  • Founder, Rainbow/PUSH Coalition
  • Democratic Presidential Candidate (1984, 1988)
  • Protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
  • Advocate for voting rights, economic equity, and coalition politics

Playlist

3 Videos