Jesse Jackson, civil rights activist who became the US’s first black presidential candidate has died.
He played a leading role in virtually every campaign for civil rights, sexual and racial equality, and economic and social justice. One of America’s best known public figures, he was called the “conscience of the nation” and “the great unifier”.
He had an astounding talent for publicity and words came easily to him. ‘As an orator he had the power to raise political discourse to lyric narrative and inspire his audiences to tears, cheers and chants. In the style of a Baptist revivalist preacher he would punctuate his text with mantras and rhymes that he would make his audience incant – his favourite being “respect me, protect me, never neglect me. I am somebody.”
Critics often accused him of being little more than a cheerleader of causes, his oratory mere “jive talk”, and of being obsessed with his own self-aggrandisement. But he became a powerful figurehead for the poor and oppressed far beyond the shores of America – in South Africa and Palestine
He was born October 8 1941 at 2.15pm in Greenville, South Carolina, in a South of poverty, segregation and lynching. His mother was an unmarried black teenager; his father, a married cotton worker, who lived next door. Jesse was later adopted by his stepfather.
He won a football scholarship to the University of Illinois but discovered that blacks were only allowed on to the pitch as linesmen. At 22 he achieved his first civil rights success when he organised picket lines and sit-ins at local restaurants, hotels and theatres that banned blacks, persuading many of them to lift the colour bar and went on to work with Martin Luther King. He impressed his colleagues in the movement with his energy as much as he irritated them with his personal publicity seeking.
He had a Libra Sun in the 9th house of faith and spreading-the-word in an argumentative and go-ahead opposition to Mars in Aries in his 3rd house of communication. He had an intense 7th house Pluto in a can-be-dogmatic square to Mercury in Scorpio. Designed as a talker and even more so a promoter of his views, he would make an impact. His persuasive and charming Venus in Scorpio in his 10th was opposition a determined and reforming Moon Saturn Uranus in Taurus which in turn was in an inventive trine to an influential 8th house Neptune, prompting him to work for a better society (Saturn Neptune). His confident Jupiter in chatty Gemini in his performing 5th house meant he was good at garnering an appreciative audience.
He was custom-built as a mover and shaker for the causes he espoused and very effective.
Interesting that his Libra Sun was conjunct the USA country Saturn in Libra, whose essential meaning is of fairness, though it often fell short.
In the last week he actually had Pluto transiting Aquarius in opposition to his Sun/Moon midpoint at 4 degree Leo – conjunct his Natal Pluto. With his Moon/ Juno midpoint nearby. His Juno /Moon midpoint is within two degrees of his Pluto – which may have given the power and will to transform himself with other partnerships? It is fitting that he died on an Eclipse, along with his transiting Uranus conjunct his Saturn – a sudden end to a great leader.
Noticed that he had as many as 7 retrogrades in his chart. How did it impact his personality? Marjorie, can you do an analysis of charts with multiple retrogrades vs no retrogrades to see the difference?
Yes please. I found out recently that I had 7 retrogrades as did Muhammed Ali! In good company anyway.
In Chicago when I was growing up, he was a constant presence in local media and politics, and something of a gadfly, whose genius for self-promotion was embraced by some and reviled by others. (He parted ways with the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Martin Luther King Jr.’s successor as head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, for this reason.) He became a legend and an elder statesman in later years, fighting for social justice with the zeal and oratorical flare of the Baptist preacher he was, and with the air of a happy warrior. Through his nonprofits, Operation PUSH (for People United to Serve Humanity) and the Rainbow Coalition (now combined as Rainbow/PUSH), he and his team did/do great work fighting for social justice on a number of fronts. He was also a protege of MLK and was a witness to the latter’s assassination in Memphis in 1968. He was involved in more than a few controversies, all of which he rose above.
Tragically, he had been silenced in recent years by a progressive neurological ailment similar to Parkinson’s; I hope he didn’t suffer terribly, and am glad he isn’t suffering now. A great leader and a great man. RIP.
Jesse Jackson was the first American Civil Rights Movement leader I have a personal memory of. Growing up in the 1980’s, I knew about Martin Luther King Jr and his assassination, but the general focus in the Nordic countries had shifted to Apartheid South Africa. That said, Jesse Jackson’s 1988 Presidential run made news here, and while not knowing much of the US internal politics, I remember the energy was so different from what I got from him through TV than from Dukakis, not to mention Republicans. I couldn’t get why having a Black President was unthinkable for so many Americans, because we’d also all been watching “Bill Cosby Show”, which, ironically smothered racial issues (the spinoff “Different World” issued this better by having a white character to attend the fictional HBCU).
Thinking about it now, when I’m hitting 50 and have seen how former Communist countries have struggled, it was actually amazing how far the American society had moved in just 20 years. Hopefully, what we are experiencing now, is a temporary setback and we can go back to Jackson’s beautiful “I am somebody” lesson of respect for others stemming from selfrespect.
Hi Solaia, yes Jesse Jackson was one of the great human rights activist, he also played a great role in ending apartheid in South Africa. Strange enough he passed on on February 17, on an eclipse day. Like Nelson Mandela, his life events were full of eclipses, when he was imprisoned, freed from jail and when he passed on in 2013. I wonder if eclipses also play a role in this human rights activists lives.
Thank you very much Marjorie. I saw Jesse Jackson speaking at the February 2003 demonstration against the Iraq War in Hyde Park, London. He was such an incredibly powerful presence, I have vivid memories of that moment.
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm was actually the first Black person to run for the presidency of the USA. The year was 1972.
Thank you Drew. Came here to say that. Indeed Ms Chisholm was the first Black woman to be elected to Congress as well.