Honoring the Life and Legacy of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr.

WHEREAS, the Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. was born in Greenville, S.C., on Oct. 8, 1941, a descendant of Native Americans and enslaved peoples of Africa. He attended the University of Illinois and later North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, a historically Black college. He became active in the civil rights movement at North Carolina AT&T and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in sociology in 1964. He was ordained on June 30, 1968, by renowned pastor the Rev. Clay Evans, founder of Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church on Chicago's South Side; and

WHEREAS, he was appointed by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and James Bevel to lead Operation Breadbasket—a Chicago extension of economic empowerment from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference—where he was promoted to national director in 1967. As an SCLC organizer and aide to Dr. King, Jackson shared in the transformative, luminous journey of the civil rights giant, and learned to both live and appreciate the substance of Dr. King's dream; and

WHEREAS, Jackson emerged as a national leader in the Civil Rights Movement, working closely with Martin Luther King Jr. and carrying forward the movement's vision of multiracial democracy, economic justice and dignity for working people; and

WHEREAS, through the founding of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Jackson built a powerful vehicle for advancing voting rights, labor rights, educational opportunity and economic inclusion; and

WHEREAS, through the Rainbow PUSH Coalition's PUSH Excel program, Jackson promoted academic excellence, mentorship and college readiness by mobilizing educators, families, students and community leaders to build a culture that celebrates scholarship, discipline and lifelong learning; and

WHEREAS, PUSH Excel has empowered generations of young people particularly those from underserved communities to pursue higher education, develop leadership skills, and recognize education as a pathway to opportunity, economic mobility and civic engagement; and

WHEREAS, Jackson's work has long been rooted in the city of Chicago, where he served as a moral voice for justice and a tireless advocate for public education and the rights of working families; and

WHEREAS, Jackson stood in solidarity with educators, students and families represented by the AFT, supporting our struggle for fully funded public schools, fighting a system of "educational apartheid," demanding smaller class sizes, more racial equity, and dignity for educators and school communities; and

WHEREAS, Jackson joined teachers and community members at rallies, marches, and public forums to defend neighborhood schools, oppose school closures and lift up the importance of fully funding public education as a cornerstone of democracy; and

WHEREAS, Jackson consistently emphasized that the struggle for high-quality public education is inseparable from the broader fight for civil rights, economic justice and opportunity for Black, brown and working-class communities; and

WHEREAS, he twice campaigned for the office of president of the U.S. on a progressive "Rainbow Coalition" platform focused on economic justice, social equality and peace. Key pillars included creating a Works Progress Administration-style jobs program; implementing universal, single-payer healthcare; slashing defense spending; raising taxes on corporations and the wealthy; and strengthening civil rights:

RESOLVED, that we honor the extraordinary life, leadership and legacy of the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr., whose courage, faith and commitment to justice have transformed the city of Chicago and the nation; and

RESOLVED, that we recognize with gratitude his steadfast solidarity with the AFT and the educators who fight each day for the schools our children deserve; and

RESOLVED, that we recommit ourselves to carrying forward Jackson's vision of a beloved community—where strong public schools, empowered workers and multiracial democracy form the foundation of justice and opportunity for all; and

RESOLVED, that thanks to the leadership and vision of Jackson, people of the African diaspora, and all impoverished, disenfranchised and discriminated people across the globe, are empowered to move and not mourn, march and not mope, and remain forever restless in their quest for dignity; and

RESOLVED, that the AFT will support a scholarship in Jackson's name for future students pursuing careers in social justice; and 

RESOLVED, that we celebrate the Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. as a champion of educators, students, workers and the oppressed, whose call to "keep hope alive" continues to guide the ongoing struggle for freedom, equality and dignity.

Adopted July 18, 2026