The Latest: Reaction is pouring in to the loss of life of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson | EUROtoday

Reaction is pouring in after the loss of life of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, who led the U.S. Civil Rights Movement for many years, died Tuesday. The protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and two-time presidential candidate was 84.

Jackson led a lifetime of crusades within the United States and overseas, advocating for the poor and underrepresented on points from voting rights and job alternatives to training and well being care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and thru his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pleasure and self-determination into company boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a extra open and equitable society.

And when he declared, “I am Somebody,” in a poem he typically repeated, he sought to succeed in individuals of all colours. “I may be poor, but I am Somebody; I may be young; but I am Somebody; I may be on welfare, but I am Somebody,” intoned America’s best-known civil rights activist since King.

Santita Jackson confirmed that her father died at dwelling in Chicago, surrounded by household.

The Latest:

NAACP honors ‘a towering moral voice’

Jackson was “a transformative leader whose life’s work is deeply woven into the history, mission, and enduring impact of our Association and the nation,” an NAACP assertion mentioned.

“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,” mentioned the joint assertion by NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell, NAACP Vice Chair Karen Boykin Towns and NAACP President & CEO Derrick Johnson.

“Now, more than ever, we honor his legacy by continuing the work he championed: protecting the right to vote, expanding economic opportunity, and fighting for the freedom and dignity of Black people everywhere,” they mentioned. “The Rev. Jackson’s passing marks the loss of a towering moral voice, but the movement he helped build will carry his light forward. His legacy calls each of us to stay committed, stay organized, and remain faithful to the pursuit of justice.

Chicago congressman laments his friend’s passing

“Of course, we have known that he was ill for quite some time, and that ultimately it would come,” Rep. Danny Okay. Davis’ assertion mentioned. “The work, the spirit, what he has meant, not only to the city, the state, country and this world will continue to live on.”

“I extend condolences to his family. Mrs. Jackie Jackson, all of his children, and the work that he has done will continue, because they are all seriously involved in public decision-making. And so though he will be gone, he will continue to live on.”

Atlanta mayor means to maintain Jackson’s hopes alive

“I join the people of Atlanta mourning the passing of an American icon,” Mayor Andre Dickens mentioned. “Rev. Jackson confirmed up for us persistently. He by no means stopped difficult leaders to do higher by Americans, particularly with regards to financial justice. And that’s a struggle that we’ll proceed.”

“Here in Atlanta, as well as around the country, we would be wise to heed Rev. Jackson’s words and ‘keep hope alive.’ We intend to,” his assertion mentioned.

Illinois governor orders flags to half-staff

Gov. JB Pritzker ordered flags to half-staff throughout Illinois in honor of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Pritzker, a Democrat, referred to as Jackson a “giant of the civil rights movement.”

“He broke down barriers, inspired generations, and kept hope alive,” Pritzker mentioned in social media posts. “Our state, nation, and world are better due to his years of service.”

10 min in the past

Human Rights Campaign recollects Jackson’s assist for marriage equality

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign, praised Jackson for embodying “courage, hope, and a relentlessness that will not be denied.”

“His historic presidential campaigns paved the way for generations of Black leaders to imagine ourselves in rooms we were once told were closed to us,” Robinson mentioned in a press release.

“Reverend Jackson also stood up when it mattered; when it wasn’t easy and when it wasn’t popular. His support for marriage equality and for LGBTQ+ people affirmed a simple, powerful truth: Our liberation is bound together.”

Civil rights prosecutor says Jackson reminds Americans to ‘keep up the good fight’

Jackson’s affect “can be felt in virtually every aspect of American life,” mentioned Kristen Clarke, former Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Justice through the Biden administration.

“A tireless and extraordinary public servant, his charge to all of us was to stay hopeful, keep up the good fight and respect the dignity and humanity of all people,” Clarke mentioned in an emailed assertion on Tuesday. “Jackson has been, and will always be, a central part of the story regarding America’s ongoing quest for justice and equality.”

King’s son hopes Jackson’s life will encourage others to be ‘louder, braver, more faithful’

“Jackson was more than a civil rights advocate—he was a living bridge between generations, carrying forward the unfinished work and sacred promise of the Civil Rights Movement,” Martin Luther King III and his spouse Andrea King mentioned in a press release.

“He walked with courage when the road was uncertain, spoke with conviction when the truth was inconvenient, and stood with the poor, the marginalized, and the forgotten when it was not popular to do so. His life was a testament to the power of faith in action—faith that justice could be won, that dignity belongs to every person, and that love must always have the final word.”

“May his memory be a wellspring of strength and courage for all who continue the sacred work to which he gave his life. As he so often reminded us, “Keep hope alive.”

‘Poor People’s Campaign’ chief recollects Jackson’s hope for America’s promise

“Jesse Jackson was a gift from God and a witness that God exists in the ways he cared for and lifted all people, the way he called forth a rainbow coalition of people to challenge economic and social inequality from the pulpit to a historic presidential run, the way he dared to keep hope alive whenever the nation struggled with being who she says she is and yet ought to be,” mentioned Bishop William J. Barber II, who co-founded the Poor People’s Campaign.

“When I was a college student, he was a gift to me as a mentor, and it has been my great privilege to have him walk alongside me through my whole public ministry,” Barber mentioned. “May we all take up his hope for the America that has never yet been but nevertheless must be.”

Sen. Raphael Warnock on Jackson: ‘His ministry was poetry’

“America has lost one of its great moral voices. Reverend Jesse Jackson spent his life working to ensure our nation lives up to its highest ideals. From his early days as a young staffer with Dr. King onto the national stage, he fought for freedom, racial justice, equality, and for the human dignity of the marginalized and the poor,” mentioned Warnock, the Georgia Democrat who doubles as senior pastor at Ebenezer Baptist Church, the ‘spiritual home’ of the King household.

“With an eloquence and rhythmic rhetoric all his own, Jesse Jackson reminded America that equal justice is not inevitable; it requires vigilance and commitment, and for freedom fighters, sacrifice. His ministry was poetry and spiritual power in the public square. He advanced King’s dream and bent the arc of history closer to justice,” Warnock mentioned.

South Africa’s president credit Jackson for hastening the tip of apartheid

Jackson, who first travelled to South Africa in July 1979, simply after Steve Biko’s passing, vigorously advocated for American sanctions on the apartheid regime and supported Nelson Mandela’s anti-apartheid battle.

“His campaigns for an end to apartheid included disinvestment from the apartheid economy and challenging the support the regime enjoyed in certain circles and institutions internationally,” President Cyril Ramaphosa mentioned.

“We are deeply indebted to the energy, principled clarity and personal risk with which he supported our struggle and campaigned for freedom and equality in other parts of the world.”

The Rev. Al Sharpton recollects his mentor’s lesson: ‘Faith without action is just noise’

“Today, I lost the man who first called me into purpose when I was just twelve years old. And our nation lost one of its greatest moral voices. The Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson was not simply a civil rights leader; he was a movement unto himself. He carried history in his footsteps and hope in his voice,” Sharpton mentioned.

“One of the greatest honors of my life was learning at his side. He reminded me that faith without action is just noise. He taught me that protest must have purpose, that faith must have feet, and that justice is not seasonal, it is daily work.”

The Rev. Martin Luther King’s daughter eulogizes a life within the service of humanity

“He was a gifted negotiator and a courageous bridge‑builder, serving humanity by bringing calm into tense rooms and creating pathways where none existed,” the Rev. Bernice King mentioned.

“My family shares a long and meaningful history with him, rooted in a shared commitment to justice and love. As we grieve, we give thanks for a life that pushed hope into weary places.”

An AP Photo Gallery displaying glimpses of the lifetime of the civil rights chief

Jackson led a lifetime of crusades within the United States and overseas, advocating for the poor and underrepresented on points from voting rights and job alternatives to training and well being care. AP picture editors curated a gallery.

President Donald Trump says Jackson ‘will be missed’

Trump remembered Jackson in a social media submit that referred to as him a “good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts.’”

The Republican president additionally described Jackson as “very gregarious -Someone who truly loved people!”

“He loved his family greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences. Jesse will be missed!” Trump wrote.