As the world wakes to the news of his death, we mourn the loss of Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose legacy is deep and meaningful, shaped by his tireless work in the struggle for civil rights. He stood with the marginalized, fought for the underdog, and carried the justice movement in the United States and around the globe. Jackson’s voice was bold, steadfast, and persistent, even as he suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in his later years.

Rev. Jackson worked with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., which impacted his ongoing civil rights work. He often quoted and spoke about Dr. King in many of his speeches and lectures. 

In many ways, Dr. King’s work was carried on by Rev. Jackson, who became a voice for African Americans’ struggles for liberation and justice. Jackson was a two-time presidential candidate.

He founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition in Chicago, which became an international human and civil rights organization. He spoke out for Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans as he fought against issues that marginalize and oppress communities of color.

Jackson advocated for economic equality, social justice, gender justice, and climate justice. He worked with local and global leaders to bring peace, liberation, and justice. As an ordained minister, Rev. Jackson worked with religious communities around the globe for peace and human rights for the disenfranchised.

Rev. Jackson taught me many things, and the one that stands out is the need to fight for our rights. He often said, “You can’t win unless you fight.” Those words have stayed with me and encourage me today.

As an Asian American woman, that lesson has been especially meaningful. We are often socialized not to resist, not to disrupt, not to challenge. 

We are told to accept our circumstances, even when they diminish our rights and our dignity. We are told to remain quiet and not to stir the pot.

Rev. Jackson’s witness reminded me that silence does not bring justice. Courage does.

As an Asian American woman, I live between two worlds—Asian cultural expectations and Western societal frameworks—which often present competing philosophies, understandings, and ideologies. Holding these tensions requires strength and discernment. Rev. Jackson’s example permitted me to stand firmly within that tension and to choose justice.

He encouraged me to fight for liberation, for equity, and for the dismantling of the many “isms” that continue to wound, destroy, and break apart our world. There are countless lessons I have learned from him through the years, but his insistence on hope-filled resistance will continue to shape my work.

I am deeply grateful for his lifelong commitment to justice and for the legacy he leaves behind. It was an honor to edit his book, Keeping Hope Alive. His voice will continue to inspire many generations to come—to fight for justice and to stand up for the oppressed and the marginalized.

Rev. Jackson often made crowds repeat after him, saying, “I am Somebody!” Let us live by his words and recognize that each of us is a “somebody” as we treat everyone with dignity, respect, and honor. May we honor Rev. Jackson with our own willingness to fight for hope, for justice, and for one another. May we continue his work and fight against “isms” that dehumanize and break us.