By Kate Scanlon
Catholic leaders were among those who praised the legacy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a Baptist minister and prominent civil rights leader, who died Feb. 17. He was 84.
“For more than six decades, Reverend Jackson dedicated his life to advancing equality, dismantling systems of oppression, and amplifying the voices of the underserved,” said a statement from his family announcing his death.
News reports said he died at his home in Chicago. A cause of death was not immediately shared by the family.
A former aide to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Jackson later sought the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988. Although those bids were unsuccessful, he became the first Black candidate for U.S. president to get on the primary ballot in all 50 states.
Although, as a politician, Rev. Jackson took some public policy positions at odds with Church teaching – such as changing his original views opposing abortion to supporting it over the course of his life – Catholic leaders praised his work in the area of racial justice.
Bishop Daniel E. Garcia of Austin, Texas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation, said in written comments to OSV News, “As an advocate for racial justice and a central figure in the civil rights movement, Rev. Jesse Jackson played a key role in securing equal rights for African Americans and offered prophetic witness to the dignity of people of all racial backgrounds.”
“He inspired generations to pursue racial justice, love goodness, and walk humbly with God. My prayers are with his family and close collaborators – may his legacy continue to inspire, guide and uplift all who strive for a more just world and an end to racism,” Bishop Garcia said.
Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, told OSV News that in 1991, Rev. Jackson “came through my small hometown in Connecticut.” The network she heads advocates for the abolition of capital punishment in line with Catholic teaching as well as restorative justice, including addressing the sin of racism.
“He literally walked his talk as he marched through our state, calling attention to the social and economic ills for people who were forgotten, overlooked, and marginalized,” she said. “He was a larger-than-life figure and a deeply faithful man who consistently and pointedly connected the realities of injustice in the present day to the often overlooked sins of systemic racism and institutionalized discrimination.
“Jesse carried an indefatigable hope and a more perfect vision for the future. His faith informed his engagement in politics and the policy arena and undergirded his vision for justice that centered the dignity of all people.”
Vaillancourt Murphy said Catholic Mobilizing Network’s “advocacy to end the death penalty, which recognizes the deep-rooted racism and institutionalized discrimination within the U.S. criminal legal system, has learned much from civil rights leaders like Jesse Jackson.”
“Racism is a sin, and engagement in racial justice efforts are required at the individual, social and systemic levels so that truth-telling can dismantle unjust systems and build up approaches to justice that are equitable, restorative, and life-affirming – more fitting of our faith convictions,” she said. “Jesse Jackson’s witness – a tireless and fervently hopeful pursuit of the good – provides a faithful inspiration in this work.”
Gloria Purvis, a special adviser for integral human development and dignity at Providence College in Rhode Island and a senior fellow at Georgetown’s Initiative for Catholic Social Thought in Public Life in Washington, told OSV News that Rev. Jackson met with Saint John Paul II multiple times, notably to advocate for Haitian refugees.
“The preferential option for the poor, solidarity with the oppressed, the dignity of the human person, all of those things, I think, are the positive parts of his legacy that should be remembered and even though he was Baptist, he recognized the moral authority of the Holy Father,” Purvis said.
In a post on X, Bishop Robert E. Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, said, “A few years ago, I shared a dinner with a number of US representatives, and among them was Jesse Jackson, Jr. When I shook his hand, I said, ‘tell your Dad I’m praying for him.’“
“Though we differed on a number of issues, I always admired Jesse Jackson, who died today at 84,” Bishop Barron said. “A top lieutenant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jackson consistently advocated for the transformative power of non-violence. At a time when our social interaction is marked by terrible violence, this continues to be a welcome message.”
“Moreover, throughout his long public career, Jackson called for the empowerment of young black men through education and the assuming of moral responsibility,” Bishop Barron said. “He knew that government programs were never sufficient for the lifting up of the black community; what was especially needed was the shaping of character. He was also one of the very best public speakers on the scene when I was coming of age. I particularly recall an episode of ‘Firing Line’ which featured a debate between William F. Buckley and Jesse Jackson: very different styles indeed, but both a delight to listen to. So on the day of his death, I will, once again, pray for Jesse Jackson.”
Bipartisan tributes were also made to Rev. Jackson.
Purvis said that “at this time in particular (when) to be able to empathize with other people’s struggles seems to be a difficulty,” Rev. Jackson’s legacy was “a practical enactment” of what Catholic social teaching calls solidarity, “the recognition that we are all responsible for one another.”
President Donald Trump called Rev. Jackson “a good man, with lots of personality, grit, and ‘street smarts’“ in a post on his social media website Truth Social.
“He was very gregarious - Someone who truly loved people!” Trump said, adding he was sending “my deepest sympathies and condolences” to his family.
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., called Rev. Jackson “a legendary voice for the voiceless, powerful civil rights champion and trailblazer extraordinaire.”
“For decades, while laboring in the vineyards of the community, he inspired us to keep hope alive in the struggle for liberty and justice for all,” Jeffries said in a post on X. “We are thankful for the incredible service of Rev. Jesse Jackson to the nation and his profound sacrifice as the people’s champion.”
