congressional_record: CREC-2026-02-24-pt1-PgE157-5
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| CREC-2026-02-24-pt1-PgE157-5 | 2026-02-24 | 119 | 2 | HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE REVEREND JESSE LOUIS JACKSON, SR. | HOUSE | EXTENSIONS | HONORING | E157 | E158 | [{"name": "Andre Carson", "role": "speaking"}] | 172 Cong. Rec. E157 | Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 36 (Tuesday, February 24, 2026)] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages E157-E158] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] HONORING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE REVEREND JESSE LOUIS JACKSON, SR. ______ HON. ANDRE CARSON of indiana in the house of representatives Tuesday, February 24, 2026 Mr. CARSON. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to honor the life and legacy of the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr.--a moral giant of the civil rights movement, a champion for the poor and dispossessed, and one of the most gifted communicators in American history. I also want to express my love and support to Reverend Jackson's family as they grieve such a deeply personal loss, including our colleague Congressman Jonathan Jackson, our former colleague Jesse Jackson, Jr. and all the Jackson family members and friends. Reverend Jackson was born during height of the Jim Crow segregation in Greenville, South Carolina, yet he rose from humble beginnings to become a global voice for justice, equality, and human dignity. He first came to national prominence in the 1960s as a young advocate in the struggle for civil rights and an aide to Dr. King, who appointed him to lead the Southern Christian Leadership Conference's Operation Breadbasket in Chicago and eventually, it's national director. Following Dr. King's assassination in 1968, Reverend Jackson helped sustain and lead the movement's moral urgency, shaping a new era of activism grounded in nonviolence, direct action, and an unshakable faith in the power of love. In 1971, he founded Operation PUSH--``People United to Save Humanity'', building an inclusive advocacy movement united in the pursuit of economic and social justice. Reverend Jackson led boycotts against corporations that had poor records in hiring Black employees or contracting with Black businesses. In 1984, he organized the National Rainbow Coalition, bringing to life an organization of voters from a broad spectrum of races and creeds. This helped him launch his historic presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988, [[Page E158]] when he first won five primaries, and subsequently garnered 6.9 million votes. This transformed American politics, inspiring discouraged Americans to believe in the possibility of a multiracial democracy and helping to expand participation within the Democratic Party. His call to ``Keep Hope Alive!'' was more than a slogan--it was a moral charge to the Nation and a testament to his belief that love and collective action can bend the arc of history toward justice. For more than six decades, Reverend Jackson served as both bridge and trailblazer, connecting the civil rights movement of the 1960s to the ongoing struggle for a more inclusive democracy in the 21st century. He marched, organized, led boycotts, negotiated, and preached on behalf of those too often marginalized or ignored, always affirming, ``I am somebody.'' He mentored and was a friend to many, including me. Mr. Speaker, Reverend Jesse Jackson was a fearless advocate for love and justice whose voice stirred our conscience and challenged our Nation to live up to its highest ideals. I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring his extraordinary life and legacy, and in recommitting ourselves to the future of a Beloved Community that he so faithfully envisioned. ____________________ |