Jesse Jackson
 Jesse Jackson      (Activist) | |
|---|---|
 Jackson in 1983 | |
| Born | Jesse Louis Burns October 8, 1941 Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Alma mater | North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Chicago Theological Seminary |
| Children | • Santita Jackson • Jesse Jackson Jr. • Jonathan Jackson |
| Spouse | Jacqueline Brown |
| Party | Democratic |
Jesse Louis Jackson is an American political activist, Baptist minister, and politician.
Career
Jackson began his activism as a protégé of Martin Luther King Jr., and founded the organizations that merged to form Rainbow/PUSH. As a young lieutenant of Martin Luther King and then as leader of Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) he became in effect the leader of what was left of the civil rights movement old guard.[1]
Extending his activism into international matters beginning in the 1980s, he became a critic of the Reagan administration and launched a presidential campaign in 1984. Initially seen as a fringe candidate, Jackson finished in third place for the Democratic nomination, behind former Vice President Walter Mondale and Senator Gary Hart. He continued his activism for the next three years, and mounted a second bid for president in 1988. Exceeding expectations once again, Jackson finished as the runner-up to Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis.
MLK Assassination
Mark Gorton writes that "there are hints that Jesse Jackson may have been complicit in the conspiracy" to kill Martin Luther King.[2]
