The world says goodbye to Jesse L. Jackson, the Reverend who became one of the most recognizable voices of the American civil rights movement. A two-time presidential candidate and tireless advocate for the underrepresented, he spent decades leading campaigns for social justice and equality. Even while facing serious health challenges later in life, he never stopped confronting racial injustice or working behind the scenes on significant diplomatic efforts. His life’s work was rooted in tearing down walls and building bridges, leaving a permanent imprint on civil rights activism in America and beyond.
I had the privilege of meeting Reverend Jackson in the mid-2000s while working in Cincinnati, and I will never forget how his presence filled the entire room before he ever spoke a word. The studio was crowded with local pastors who had gathered in support of Barack Obama’s second campaign. Yet when Reverend Jackson entered, the atmosphere shifted. Despite his towering status as a civil rights icon, he made the room feel personal, intimate, and warm.
What struck me most was not just his stature, but his kindness — and his unexpected humor. I asked him about criticisms some people had toward President Obama. In that unmistakable rhythmic cadence of his, he offered a simple analogy: if you come home from the store with eight out of ten items on your shopping list, that is still a good shopping day. The room erupted in laughter, but his point was clear. Progress may not be perfect, but it is still progress.
As he prepared to leave, he turned to me and said he was ordaining me the “pastor of the streets,” declaring that my studio was my pulpit. In just a few words, he affirmed the purpose behind the work I try to do every day — behind the microphone, in every city I have been blessed to serve. I have carried that moment with me ever since.
Rest in Power, Reverend Jackson.
Well done, thou good and faithful servant.
