Reverend Jesse Jackson shaped an embattled moment and prompts questions about who will lead now

Rinaldo Walcott writes that Reverend Jesse Jackson was a prominent 1980s figure who advocated for a politics of compassion and coalition-building, and asks who will fill a similar role today.

Rinaldo Walcott reflects on the passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson and on Jackson's place in the political and cultural moment of the 1980s. He describes an era shaped by the end of the Reagan years, cultural shifts like the rise of hip hop, and a climate in which Black politicians and communities were repeatedly challenged. Walcott says Jackson's presidential campaigns energized many young Black people and offered a public politics that emphasized compassion and community rather than rugged individualism. The piece links Jackson's phrases and public organizing — including "Keep Hope Alive," the poem "I Am Somebody," and the Rainbow Coalition — to his broader role as a moral and political figure. Key points: - Jackson ran two presidential campaigns in the 1980s that energized many young Black voters. - He advocated for a politics of compassion, defended the welfare state, and warned about the effects of neoliberal policies. - He pushed for delegate allocation reform (proportional representation with a 15% threshold) and helped build the Rainbow Coalition. - Jackson engaged in international advocacy against South African apartheid and worked to free hostages and political prisoners when governments did not act. - He popularized slogans like "Keep Hope Alive" and the poem "I Am Somebody," and served as a visible model of Black public leadership. Summary: Walcott presents Jackson as a conscience for his era whose campaigns and organizing shaped conversations about redistribution, coalition politics, and moral leadership. The article closes by asking who might emerge to fill a comparable role now.