San Diego County Supervisor Joel Anderson has called for county flags to be lowered to half-staff in honor of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader and protΓ©gΓ© of Martin Luther King Jr. who died Feb. 17 at age 84 after a long battle with Parkinson's disease.
At the request of San Diego civil rights leader Rev. Shane Harris, Supervisor Anderson also asked that the County Administration Center be illuminated in rainbow hues Wednesday evening, reflecting the Rainbow PUSH Coalition that Jackson led for decades to advance economic justice and equality for marginalized communities.
"Rev. Jesse Jackson was a servant leader whose tireless work illuminated paths toward justice and equality for generations," Anderson said in a statement. "His unwavering commitment to civil rights reminds us that love, solidarity, and progress know no bounds. In San Diego County, we honor his legacy by coming together in remembrance and celebration of his profound impact."
Rev. Harris, who worked and marched alongside Jackson, remembered him as "a giant of the civil rights movement and a relentless voice for justice." Harris wrote on social media: "Marching beside him, speaking after him, and learning from him were blessings I will always cherish. Rest well, Rev. Your work changed the world β and those of us blessed to stand beside you in the movement for change and justice will carry it on."
Jackson was born Oct. 8, 1941, in Greenville, S.C. He marched alongside King in Selma, Alabama in 1965 and was present at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968. He later founded Operation PUSH and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, ran for president twice in 1984 and 1988, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000. In his later years, despite being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2017, he continued to show up at protests for racial justice. He is survived by his wife, Jacqueline, and six children. Public commemorations are expected in Chicago, according to NPR.
Source: East County Magazine