He Was Somebody

Jesse Jackson was perhaps the most electrifying politician of my lifetime. Yet he was more than a politician -- he was a catalyst, a motivator, someone who inspired multitudes, primarily Black Americans. Yes, he eventually roped them into voting Democratic. Another blessing of democracy. But Jesse Jackson moved people.

Naturally, political elites demonized him. In 1984, white liberal Democrats shunned him in favor of the dazzling Walter Mondale. But his speech at the ‘84 Democratic Convention was mesmerizing. The Democrats had no chance against Ronald Reagan, so Jesse let it fly. “I’d rather have Roosevelt in a wheelchair than Reagan on a horse!” A great line, and so true.

He was seen by some as anti-Semitic, primarily because he was critical of Israel before being critical was deemed acceptable. His private language regarding establishment Jews sometimes crossed the line, and he apologized for it. (There’s a backstory about the fascist Jewish Defense League targeting Blacks, and this clearly bled into his rhetoric.) Yet his main advisors and speechwriters were Jewish. I briefly knew one of them.

At the height of Reagan’s murderous Central American wars, Jesse openly opposed it and called it terrorism. Again, Democrats, with maybe one or two exceptions, never used this word. It was either “mistaken” or “misguided.” Jesse cut right to the imperial bone. And of course he was at the forefront of anti-South African apartheid activism.

Also, in 1984, Jesse hosted SNL. He was pretty good. In fact, it’s one of the better shows that season. (Taking advantage of live TV, he slipped in a line about activists protesting at Brooklyn Harbor against nuclear warships.)

His political organizations were criticized as corrupt and self-serving. Imagine such a thing in America! Outrageous! Given larger corporate corruption and the politicians it buys (hello Barack Obama), Jesse’s transgressions don’t keep me up at night. Anyone who worked with Martin Luther King Jr. and stood next to him when he was assassinated (getting Dr. King’s blood on his shirt) has my respect.

RIP Jesse Jackson. You made an indelible mark.