BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Jesse Jackson rose to national prominence as one of the most recognized voices of the modern civil rights movement.
Working closely with Martin Luther King Jr., he became a leading advocate for racial and economic justice. Over the years, he stood alongside prominent labor leaders such as Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, lending his voice and visibility to the farm worker movement.
Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers, remembered Jackson as a powerful and energizing presence.
“Everywhere that Jesse went, he brought so much excitement and energy. He even coined terms like ‘Black is beautiful.’ He was a very key component of the civil rights movement,” Huerta said.
Jackson made several visits to Kern County over the years. In 1988, he traveled to McFarland and Delano to support families whose children were battling cancer. He also stood firmly behind the grape strike led by the United Farm Workers, joining marches and rallies to draw attention to the struggles of farm workers.
“Jesse was always out there in front,” Huerta said. “He didn’t have to be invited. If he knew we were holding an event to bring attention to the farm worker's struggle, he was there.”
When Chavez ended his 46-day fast against pesticides in Delano in August 1988, Jackson was by his side, helping amplify the cause.
In addition to his activism, Jackson made two historic runs for president in 1984 and 1988, drawing significant national support and breaking barriers for future candidates of color.
In 1971, he founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), and in 1984 he launched the National Rainbow Coalition, expanding his efforts to build a broad, multicultural political movement.
Bakersfield pastor Ralph Anthony recalled marching alongside Jackson and the impact the civil rights leader had on local activists.
“It meant those of us who were in ‘good trouble,’ like John Lewis used to say, were standing up for the rights of citizens often at difficult times,” Anthony said, referencing the late congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis.
Even in his later years, as his health declined, Jackson remained committed to the movement. Though he was no longer able to march, supporters say he stayed engaged and present.
“He is going to be a big loss,” Huerta said. “In recent years he’s been disabled and hasn’t been able to march, but he was still present.”
Jackson died Tuesday at his home in Chicago. Supporters across the country including many in Kern County say his legacy will live on through the movements he strengthened, the leaders he inspired, and the communities he stood beside for more than half a century.
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