Jesse Jackson

Jesse Jackson, born Jesse Louis Burns, is an American civil rights leader and a politician.  When Jesse Jackson was an undergraduate, he marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Selma, Alabama. This inspired him to become a part of the Civil Rights Movement where Jackson cared deeply about global and national issues. This led him to found several human rights and racial equality organizations such as Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition. In the presidential election of 1984, Jesse Jackson ran for president and to be the chosen Democratic nominee but was not elected. Then in 1988 Jesse Jackson ran again as the same party and still was not elected president. Additionally, one of Jesse Jackson’s most known appearances was when he performed his “I Am Somebody” speech at Wattstax, a music festival occurring after the Watts Revolts. His speech consisted of empowering phrases such as “But I must be respected, Protected, Never rejected.” All in all, Jesse Jackson was a very influential person, and a key figure in the Civil Rights and the Black Power Movement.

Add image of Jesse Jackson giving "I am Somebody Speech"