Dr. Theodore J. Davis Jr. is a professor in the Department of Political Science & International Relations at the University of Delaware.
Thank you, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, for being “somebody.” Jackson’s passing during Black History Month was so fitting. I am not saying this to be disrespectful but just the opposite. The significance of his contribution to Black history, the struggle for racial justice and his challenge to the American political system should not be taken lightly. As with all historical figures, some of his work will be praised and some criticized. There will be staunch supporters and rabid detractors. I’ll be a bit of both in this tribute.
Often, for better or worse, it takes someone’s passing to reflect on their contribution to the community, the nation and even humanity as a whole. I will leave the accolades about Jesse Jackson, the man, to others, and I will focus on his work as a leader.
I want to take a moment to reflect on what makes Jesse Jackson a true historical figure. First, and in the broadest sense, he spoke “truth to power.” Jesse Jackson wasn’t popular in many communities, including parts of the Black community. He often challenged powerful people and institutions worldwide — openly, courageously, with authority and at great personal and professional risk.
Second, Jesse Jackson was a real “drum major for justice.” As a leader, he could be defined by his outstanding service and selflessness in the pursuit of racial justice. Jackson used his platform to advance human rights, address inequality and protect marginalized and socioeconomically vulnerable people.
In the second half of the 20th century, three consequential speeches on racial justice were delivered. While Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech was the “alpha” speech of the Civil Rights Movement, Jackson’s speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention was the “omega.”
By the way, the third consequential speech was made by President Lyndon B. Johnson in 1965 at Howard University’s commencement, where he provided a moral and philosophical justification for “affirmative action.”
King’s 1963 speech would advance the agenda for “civil rights.” However, Jackson’s speech at the 1984 Democratic convention would broaden and shift the racial justice agenda’s focus to “human rights.” Jackson’s speech wasn’t as celebrated as King’s March on Washington speech, but Jackson’s speech was just as consequential.
Jackson’s speech at the Democratic convention was the symbolic end of the binary Civil Rights Movement. While the speech would allow Jackson to create an identity separate from MLK, in a sense, he would advance and give new focus to MLK’s “beloved community.” The Rev. Jackson would call for a moral and “more humane, just and peaceful” society. He would attempt to steer the nation’s focus toward the eradication of poverty, the pursuit of economic justice and a foreign policy “that developed minds over guided missiles.”
There was a second component of Jackson’s speech that would change Black politics for “better or worse,” depending on where you sit. Jackson’s speech would move Black politics out of the rim of “racial politics” and into “identity politics.” In doing so, what had been an independent Black civil rights agenda since the 1960s became part of the Democratic Party’s political platform.
Jesse Jackson would also shift the focus of Black politics away from the pursuit of “civil rights” toward “human rights.” In essence, he felt that Black people’s pursuit of racial justice would best be achieved by being part of a “Rainbow Coalition” that included Hispanics/Latinos, members of the Labor Movement, poor White individuals, women and members of the LGBTQ community. Thus, Jackson would advocate for the creation of a multiracial/multicultural coalition and “unity over division.”
A bit of trivia, Jackson borrowed the idea of a “Rainbow Coalition” from the Black Panther Party. To put some distance between the two organizations, he always referred to his organization as the “Rainbow Push Coalition.”
The jury is still out on the success of Jackson’s gamble to make Black individuals’ pursuit of civil rights part of Democratic Party politics. It has paid off in giving them a prominent role and platform to be heard in American politics. It paved the way for an increase in the number of Black elected officials. However, Jackson’s gamble may have killed what an independent Black political agenda might have achieved. So, even with an increase in the number of Black elected officials, including a Black man elected to the office of president, there is no Black agenda today independent of the Democratic Party’s agenda. At the same time, this gamble contributed to a White “backlash” in American politics not seen since the death of Jim Crow Sr.
Thank you, Jesse Jackson, for setting the stage and providing us a philosophical foundation for a Human Rights Movement. We also thank you for reminding Black people that we are “somebody” and speaking “truth to power.” We thank you for your courageous leadership and sacrifices on behalf of our people. Perhaps most of all, thank you for encouraging marginalized people around the world to “keep hope alive.”
Reader reactions, pro or con, are welcomed at civiltalk@iniusa.org.
