Jesse Jackson’s death represents perhaps the end of two eras. He was an icon of the Religious Left and of the historic black church, both of which have receded from public life, the former almost into oblivion. Jackson was the last great figure of that type.
Jackson was one of the last close associates of Martin Luther King, Jr, having been present at the 1968 assassination. In the 1970s he became a star in his own right, founding Operation Push. A masterful organizer and speaker, he was renowned for his motivational speeches for self-empowerment. He invited young black audiences to chant with him “I am somebody.”
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