“𝐁𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐲, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐭. 𝐓𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐲; 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞.”

In 1966, Bob Fitch captured this article image of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rev. Jesse Jackson at Penn Center on St. Helena Island, per Benjamin Watson, it was near Frogmore, South Carolina, during a Southern Christian Leadership Conference staff workshop. King was 37 and Jackson was 25 at the time.

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. went on to become a towering figure in the U.S. civil rights movement and a Baptist minister who rose to national prominence in the 1960s as a protegé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Born on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, Jackson devoted more than six decades to advocating for racial equality, economic justice, and human rights. He founded the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, a Chicago-based social justice organization that pushed for voter rights, corporate accountability, and expanded opportunity for marginalized communities. Jackson also made history as one of the first African Americans to mount serious campaigns for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, bringing issues of inclusion and equity to the forefront of national politics. He is widely credited with helping pave the way for the progressive policies of figures like Barack Obama, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Bernie Sanders in the 21st century.

Despite health challenges in his later years, including a long-term battle with a rare neurological disorder and Parkinson-related symptoms, Jackson remained a powerful and inspirational voice until the end of his life. His speeches, activism, and global advocacy earned him widespread respect and honors, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and his legacy will continue to influence movements for justice around the world. He passed away peacefully this morning in Chicago surrounded by family, leaving behind a lasting impact on American society. A servant leader, he was 84.

“𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐫𝐲, 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬, 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦, 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐛 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩 𝐨𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠.” ~𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒖𝒊𝒔 𝑱𝒂𝒄𝒌𝒔𝒐𝒏