‘I am Somebody, You are Somebody’

In the wake of the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson, a clip of his leading youngsters in the chant “I am somebody” has been circulating. It reminded me of the late mayor of New York City, Ed Koch, who famously walked New York City streets asking all he met, “How am I doing?”

I was always troubled by the mayor’s question, as he should have asked, “How are you doing?” And as powerful as Jackson’s declaration was, I have similarly wondered whether it should have been expanded—not only “I am somebody,” but also “You are somebody.”