Honoring Jesse Jackson

Today, as we face a crisis in our democracy of monumental proportions, the passing of Jesse Jackson forces our nation to remember the type of movement that must be built to regain political power for working people in this country. Coming to power in the 1980’s, Jackson brought us to the realization that the progressive movements must vie for power in the electoral arena. Jackson built an inside/outside structure in relationship to the Democratic Party, which had a long-term impact for the participation of people of color and working people.

Jackson’s vision was first reflected in his 1984 Presidential election campaign. He then went on to become a major player and candidate in the 1988 Presidential election. He used his powerful oratory and organizing skills to build an organization that reflected one of his most important campaign themes, multiracial unity. In Nikhil Pal Singh’s book, Climbin' Jacob’s Ladder: The Black Freedom Movement Writings of Jack O’Dell, O’Dell, one of the key visionaries of the National Rainbow Coalition, stated that, “The Rainbow Coalition is a mass political movement, which should seek to provide a center of social authority, political judgment, and activist training as an alternative to the organs of mainstream governance and the two-party system.” O’Dell emphasized the necessity of building and maintaining an independent organization, “capable of effecting a basic realignment in US politics, in favor of Peace, Justice and Progress.”

Because of Jackson’s and the Rainbow Coalition’s power base, Jackson was able to negotiate the rules within the Democratic Party and at the national convention. These changes altered the race and class representation and participation at national and local levels, elections of state delegates to state party conventions and the National Democratic conventions, and the construction of party platforms at all levels that represented a peace and justice peoples’ agenda.

For many of us who participated in the Washington State Rainbow Coalition (WSRC) in the 1980s, it was our first foray into the electoral arena besides registering and casting our votes. Many in the WSRC joined the Democratic Party through participation in their legislative district party structure. By 1988, the WSRC had 1,000 members, strategically positioned in seven of the eight Washington State Congressional districts. At that time, Washington had a caucus system, through which people met by precinct to debate issues and positions, and elected people to vie for delegate positions for the national Democratic Convention, supporting a presidential candidate. At the caucus level, resolutions, positions on issues, and platforms were also discussed and voted on. For the WSRC, this was where our independent progressive movement impacted the process; our positions on major issues facing the US working class were debated, voted on, and passed onto the next level. At the Washington State Democratic Party Convention in 1988, the WSRC passed a resolution calling for a two-state solution to the Palestine/Israel conflict. The issues taken up by the WSRC are reflected in the founding convention of the WSRC in 1989. These included platform priorities on Washington State budget and taxation, Rainbow Coalition positions on foreign policy, the politics of AIDS, and many other issues that remain relevant today.

Many WSRC members became delegates to the 1988 National Democratic Party Convention, where Jesse Jackson gave his famous speech about how his grandmother made a quilt from scraps of clothes to form a beautiful quilt. Jackson likened that quilt to the multi-racial, multi-class movement that was needed to win the 1988 election and political power for working people. I have such great memories of seeing my sister-in-law and other WSRC members on national television in the front rows as Jesse Jackson gave that speech.

At Jesse Jackson’s funeral, former President Barack Obama gave credit to Jackson for his historic 2008 presidential victory. Kamala Harris also stated that she would not have been elected as vice president without the work that Jackson had done decades before. In Washington State, Seattle’s first Black mayor, Norm Rice, served two full terms from 1990-1997, acknowledging that his victory was due to the influence of Jackson and the WSRC. Rice hired a number of WSRC leaders, including Charles Rolland, who later became the first African American to become Chair of the State Democratic Party. Other WSRC members went on to run for political office with a progressive platform, even after the WSRC disbanded. The 1988 Jackson presidential campaign and the Rainbow Coalition opened the door for working class people to run for office, a door that can never be closed again.

Today, as we see the Trump administration move to cancel or steal the 2026 midterm elections, we must remember the power unleashed by Jackson and the Rainbow Coalition. Free elections are a central component of our democracy and we must stand up and protect our right to vote!

We hope you will attend Standing for Democracy’s and Free Washington Project’s April 8 webinar at 5:30 pm on protecting the 2026 midterm elections. Go to www.freewaproject.org for details and to register.