Rest in Power: Reverand Jesse Jackson

Reverend Jesse Jackson passed away this week at 84, and with him, we lost a giant of the civil rights movement and American democracy.

He wasn't just a minister or an activist. He was Dr. King's lieutenant who understood that civil rights wasn't just for Black Americans—it was for all Americans.

He registered voters. He ran for president. Twice. He built coalitions across lines that others said couldn't be crossed. He showed up in places others wouldn't go and said things others were afraid to say.

"Keep Hope Alive." "Our Time Has Come." Those weren't just slogans. They were a promise that this country could be better. That we could be better.

He was the bridge from Dr. King's generation to Barack Obama's. From the marches to the ballot box. From protest to power.

And here's what matters now: he showed us that change doesn't happen by waiting. It happens when people organize. When they show up. When they refuse to accept that things have to stay the way they are.

Reverend Jackson spent his life reminding us that democracy isn't a spectator sport. It's work. Hard work. Uncomfortable work. Necessary work.

We're going to miss him. But the best way to honor him is to keep doing that work.

Rest in power, Reverend.