The Prophetic Ministry of Jesse Jackson: A Journey from Civil Rights to Presidential Politics
In the summer of 1983, Reverend Jesse Jackson stood at a pivotal crossroads. At 41 years old, this son of the South and veteran of the civil rights movement was preparing what would become a historic campaign for the presidency. Profiled by The Associated Press writer Sharon Cohen, Jackson revealed the driving force behind his relentless activism—a sense of divine mission that placed him alongside figures like Jesus, Gandhi, and Martin Luther King Jr.
The Making of a Movement Leader
Jackson's journey began in Greenville, South Carolina, where he was born in 1941. After graduating from North Carolina A&T with degrees in sociology and economics, he entered the Chicago Theological Seminary and joined King's civil rights protests. His baptism into the movement came tragically in 1968 when he was with King in Memphis during the assassination. The following day, Jackson appeared before the Chicago City Council wearing a shirt reportedly soaked with King's blood—a powerful symbol of both loss and continuity.
"I'm in the prophetic ministry," Jackson declared. "It's the kind of ministry ancient prophets engaged in when they challenged the conduct of kings and queens." This self-conception fueled his transition from King's lieutenant to an independent political force.
Operation PUSH and Economic Activism
In 1971, Jackson founded Operation PUSH (People United to Serve Humanity) after splitting from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. As its president, earning $40,000 annually, Jackson became an urban Dale Carnegie—pushing, praising, cajoling, and criticizing African Americans to demand economic justice.
Under his leadership, PUSH negotiated over $1 billion in trade agreements with major corporations including Burger King, Coca-Cola, Heublein, and Seven-Up. These agreements secured more distributorships and increased advertising in black-audience publications. Yet not all efforts were universally praised. A boycott of Anheuser-Busch beer faced criticism from some African Americans in St. Louis who felt Jackson had targeted the wrong company.
Controversial Crusades and Broadening Influence
Jackson's activism took many forms throughout the 1970s and early 1980s. He assailed what he considered dirty lyrics in disco music, mediated local labor disputes, and led boycotts against national corporations. His international advocacy extended to Haitians, Palestinians, and Poles. He visited Panama to assess the canal treaty and spoke before 20,000 blacks in South Africa about apartheid.
These actions generated both admiration and controversy. American Jews were appalled when he embraced Yasser Arafat, leader of the Palestine Liberation Organization. Meanwhile, Alabama legislators applauded when he became the first black speaker before their legislature that century.
The Push for Excellence and Its Challenges
One of Jackson's signature initiatives was PUSH-EXCEL (Push for Excellence), launched in 1976 to promote educational achievement through daily study hours, teacher dedication, and student discipline. The program faced significant scrutiny when Department of Education auditors questioned $736,000 in spending and another $1 million in inadequately documented expenditures from approximately $6 million in federal grants over several years.
While the audits didn't allege criminal violations, they highlighted organizational challenges. Jackson maintained that PUSH representatives were working with auditors to resolve the matters, but critics pointed to these issues as evidence of his weaknesses as an administrator.
The Road to 1984: Presidential Ambitions
As Jackson weighed a bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, he faced mixed reactions from fellow black leaders. Some questioned the political wisdom of a black candidacy at that time, while others recognized its symbolic importance. Polls showed Jackson more popular than some announced candidates, validating his assertion that "God did not limit genius to white males."
Jackson's qualifications for addressing national issues like re-industrialization, jobs, and defense budgets were questioned by some critics. He responded with characteristic defiance: "I had a liberal arts education... So if on a given day Mr. Reagan can speak about agricultural policy and trade policy and international affairs and art and culture and science, who's to suggest I should be less able to speak to a broad range of issues?"
Legacy and Lasting Impact
Friends and critics alike described Jackson as a complex figure driven by ego, grand ideas, and media savvy. Gary, Indiana Mayor Richard Hatcher noted Jackson's ability to "look at cloudy skies and not see the clouds, but see the sun." Political strategist Don Rose offered more critical perspective: "The most pungent criticism is that he is constantly announcing campaigns and crusades that evaporate after the TV set is turned off."
Regardless of these criticisms, Jackson's Southern voter registration drive and his mere consideration of a presidential run had already shifted political dynamics. Georgia state Senator Julian Bond observed that Jackson "made the party more cognizant of black voters" and made race "an agenda item in the campaign for the Democratic nomination."
Jackson's message remained consistent throughout his evolution: "When you do less than your best, it's a SIN. To be black in America, you have to be superior to be equal." His journey from picketing restaurants in the 1960s to contemplating the presidency in the 1980s demonstrated his unwavering commitment to redirecting America's mainstream—not just swimming in it.
