Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.: “Keep Hope Alive!” “I Am Somebody!”

By New Journal and Guide Staff

NJG Newswire

Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. popularized two impactful slogans that have inspired generations of Americans: “Keep Hope Alive!”  “I Am Somebody!”

His passing on February 17, 2026 following a lengthy health challenge has brought forth statements of condolences and reflections from civil rights and community advocacy groups across the United States.

Though beset by poor health in later life, Jackson, 84, continued his unwavering demand that the nation live up to its democratic promise. For generations of readers and institutions within the Black Press of America tradition, Jackson’s career reflected a familiar and enduring narrative—leadership rooted in faith and activism shaped by community struggle.

Clayola Brown,  National  President of the A. Philip Randolph Institute, wrote on his passing, “He was a leader who never separated the struggle for racial equality from the struggle for fairness for working people – because he understood they are one and the same.

“He carried the hopes of so many communities on his shoulders, and he did it with uncommon courage. He challenged the country to confront hard truths, and he pushed all of us to be bolder, to be more faithful to the work, and to never accept injustice as normal.”

Among the first to release a public statement was U.S. Congressman Robert “Bobby” Scott of Virginia’s 3rd District, who wrote, “He showed what was possible for this nation as he inspired countless others to fight for a future in which America lived up to its foundational promises of equality and justice for all. Many of us continue in his footsteps as we push for equity in education and affordable health care for all, and as we continue to protect the rights of workers.”

Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of The King Center, shared, “Rev. Jackson opened doors so Black people and other excluded communities could step into opportunity and dignity. With Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he cast a bold vision of an inclusive society—uniting people across race, class, and faith to build power together and expand the table of economic opportunity.”

Jackson was a  protege of her father, Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and was with King in Memphis in 1968 on the night of King’s assassination. Jackson carried forward a tradition of movement leadership grounded in community mobilization and political engagement. In 1971 he founded Operation PUSH in Chicago, expanding national attention to voter participation, education equity, and minority enterprise. That work evolved into the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which has remained a platform for advocacy on issues central to Black civic life.

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Dr. Bernice King called Jackson a “skilled nonviolent negotiator and advocate who poke out against apartheid in South Africa and worked with Randall Robinson to organize an apartheid divestment campaign.

In 1993, Mrs. Coretta Scott King, Founder of The King Center, presented Rev. Jackson with the Martin Luther King, Jr. Nonviolent Peace Prize, the Center’s highest award for his myriad of nonviolent work for the eradication of what Dr. King called the “inseparable twins” of economic and racial injustice.

Speaking for the National NAACP, Chairman Leon Russell wrote, “Rev. Jackson was family to the NAACP. From his early days as a young organizer in the 1960s to his historic run for the presidency in the 1980s, he worked alongside NAACP leaders, marched with our members, spoke at several of our national conventions, and helped expand the national movement for racial equality into a broad, people-powered coalition demanding systemic change.”

Jackson was a recipient of the NAACP President’s Award in 1988 and the Spingarn Medal in 1989.

Born October 8, 1941, in Greenville, S.C., Jackson came of age during the height of the civil rights movement and rose to national prominence as a trusted associate of Martin Luther King Jr.. As a young organizer, he helped lead Operation Breadbasket, advancing economic justice through campaigns that pressed corporations to open employment and business opportunities to African Americans—efforts closely followed and chronicled by Black newspapers across the country.

Jackson’s historic presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988 marked a turning point in modern American politics, building multiracial coalitions and significantly expanding Black voter participation. His candidacies echoed a core Black Press tradition: insisting that African American concerns occupy a central place in national policy debates rather than the margins.