ANNAPOLIS — Maryland lawmakers and leaders remembered the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Tuesday as a titan of the Civil Rights Movement who always took risks in pursuit of progress.
Sen. Shaneka Henson, D-Anne Arundel, called Jackson a historic figure whose work has impacted every community.
“He means a lot to the Black community, but not just the Black community, throughout the U.S.,’’ Henson said. “A lot of Marylanders and a lot of folks across the country really owe a great debt of gratitude to the legacy of Jesse Jackson.”
Gov. Wes Moore said Jackson was “a champion for the dignity of working people.”
“Of the many shoulders that we stand on, Jesse Jackson’s were amongst the broadest,” Moore, a Democrat, said in a statement. “He led with love and reminded all of us of our voice and our power.”
Jackson died at his home in Chicago. He was 84.
Jackson rose to prominence as a civil rights activist in the 1960s, participating in demonstrations with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and serving as an organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Jackson was also an ordained Baptist minister and two-time presidential candidate.
In 1996, Jackson established the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which promotes equity for marginalized groups.
Del. N. Scott Phillips, D-Baltimore County, said Jackson “meant a lot to the African American community and to those who understand the fight for civil rights in the United States.”
Phillips, who also chairs the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland, said he first met Jackson when he was a freshman at Virginia Union University and heard Jackson deliver a sermon.
“He gave us a call, those students back then, to do what you could with what you had, to do the best good you could for as many people as you could,” Phillips said. “That’s what I’m reflecting on today because he really gave his best over all of the years that he was in the forefront of the Civil Rights Movement.”
In 1984 and 1988, Jackson ran for the Democratic presidential nomination. His 1988 campaign registered over 2 million new voters and won 7 million votes, according to his Rainbow PUSH Coalition biography. Jackson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor, in 2000 by then President Bill Clinton.
Henson, 1st vice chair of the Legislative Black Caucus, said one thing she admired most about Jackson was his ambition.
“He was never afraid to take on the big challenge, whether it was running for president when people thought that a Black candidate couldn’t be the candidate or the nominee for president,’’ Henson said. “He wasn’t afraid to step up and to run.”
National civil rights leaders also praised Jackson’s impact.
“His work advanced Black America at every turn,” NAACP National President Derrick Johnson said in a statement. “He challenged this nation to live up to its highest ideals, and he reminded our movement that hope is both a strategy and a responsibility.”
Henson credited the work of Jackson and others who fought for civil liberties, but said challenges remain.
“Here in Anne Arundel County, here in Maryland, here in the country, I think we can all look to Rev. Jackson and his bold, visionary leadership and gain the courage that’s necessary to take the next big step,” Henson said.
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