Today we mourn, remember, and stand tall. Jesse Jackson

This morning we learned that Jesse Jackson, a guiding force in the struggle for justice and dignity, has passed away at the age of 84. He walked beside Dr. King in the most pivotal battles for freedom and fought his entire life to lift up the voiceless and the displaced in the U.S. and across the world.
For many of us in the diaspora, migrants, Black families, and communities pulled across oceans and borders by history, his voice was more than American history. It was a call for belonging, for opportunity, for human worth. From Selma to Chicago, from protest lines to political power rooms, Jackson carried not just a banner of civil rights but a mirror for all of us who ever dared to hope for more.
He didn’t just demand change, he embodied hope in action: marching for voting rights, pushing for economic justice, and reminding us all that “I am somebody.” That phrase wasn’t just rhetoric, it was a lifeline for every young Black person, every person of color, every migrant who society tried to tell was lesser.
His journey from a segregated Southern town to the balcony in Memphis beside Dr. King through heartbreak, setbacks, and triumphs reminds us that no matter where we come from, our stories matter and can shape the world.
And while we grieve his passing, we also celebrate a life that expanded what was possible not just for Black America, but for all who fight against injustice, for all who yearn to belong. His legacy lives on in every voice that refuses to be silenced, in every hand that lifts another up, and in every heart that keeps the dream alive.
Rest in power, Reverend Jackson. Your footsteps echo in all our struggles and all our hopes. We will carry on.