02/17/2026
Reverend Jesse Jackson was more than just a towering civil rights leader.
Rev. Jackson was a protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., beginning his work with King in 1965 and, a year later, leading Operation Breadbasket in Chicago. After King’s assassination in 1968, Jackson launched Operation PUSH, continuing the fight.
He spent his life dedicated to championing civil rights, including racial and economic equality; ran for president twice; negotiated international hostage situations; and led successful campaigns in corporate America. To this day, what he preached and taught us remains timeless.
Throughout his life, Rev. Jackson was a vessel for endless lessons about the struggle for equality and keeping hope alive. He taught us much about building wealth and economic mobility, spanning from the importance of supporting Black financial institutions to why it’s key not to buy from where you cannot work.
