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Jesse Jackson Facts

Jesse Jackson Facts
Jesse Jackson is an American politician, civil rights activist, and Baptist minister who ran for presidential nomination for the Democrats twice, in 1984 and 1988. He was born Jessie Louis Jackson on October 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina, to Helen Burns, a high school student, and Noah Louis Robinson, her married neighbour. His father was a former professional boxer and well-known in the African-American community. His mother married Charles Henry Jackson after Jesse's birth. He later adopted Jesse as well. Jesse also had a relationship with his biological father growing up and considered both men to be his father. Jesse grew up during segregation laws, but used the experiences to motivate him. He graduated high school with a football scholarship.
Interesting Jesse Jackson Facts:
Jesse attended the University of Illinois until the end of second semester and transferred to North Carolina A&T. He has stated his reasons included racial prejudice limited his participation at Illinois.
Jesse became student body president and played quarterback at A&T University. He became active in protests while there against segregation in restaurants, theatres and libraries.
Jesse Jackson graduated from university in 1964 with a sociology B.S.
Jesse Jackson dropped out of the Chicago Theological Seminary in 1966, with only three classes to go, in order to focus on the Civil Rights Movement full-time.
On July 16th, 1960, Jesse Jackson and seven others participated in a sit-in at the Grenville Public Library due to their policy to only allow whites. The group was arrested and two months later after their lawyer filed suit the library abandoned its segregation.
Jesse Jackson started working for Martin Luther King Jr. and participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches.
Martin Luther King Jr. chose Jesse Jackson to head the Chicago Operation Breadbasket operation in 1966. This organization attempts to improve black community economic conditions.
In 1967 Jesse Jackson was appointed the national director of Operation Breadbasket.
In 1968 Jesse Jackson was ordained as Baptist minister.
In 1971 Jesse Jackson forms Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity). He also becomes the executive director from 1971 to 1986.
In 1983 Jesse Jackson announces his run for candidacy for the 1984 Democratic presidential nomination. He does not win the nomination.
In 1984 Jesse Jackson secured the release of 48 prisoners being held in Cuba. These prisoners were Cuban, and Cuban-American.
In 1984 Jesse Jackson secured the release of an African-American pilot being held in Syria.
Jesse Jackson founded the National Rainbow Coalition in 1986 - which is a national social justice organization.
Between 1992 and 2000 Jesse Jackson hosted the CNN show 'Both Sides with Jesse Jackson'.
In 1999 Jesse Jackson and Slobodan Milosevic negotiated the release of three US soldiers being held in Yugoslavia for over a month.
In 2000 Jesse Jackson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Bill Clinton, the U.S. President.
Jesse Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, which he announced in 2017.
Jesse Jackson married Jacqueline Lavinia in 1962 and are still married. They have 5 children together. He has also had a child with Karin Stanford in 1999.


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