February 16, 2026 at 07:00PM
How Jesse Jackson reshaped US politics
Jesse Jackson, a pivotal civil rights leader who died at 84, reshaped US politics by becoming the first major Black candidate for U.S. president in 1984 and 1988. His campaigns broadened the Democratic electorate, forged the Rainbow Coalition, and laid the groundwork for future leaders, including Barack Obama, by mobilizing diverse voters and expanding progressive policy discourse.