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Jesse Jackson discussed his origins and his race for president in this 1988 interview
Rev. Jesse Jackson reflected on race, leadership and his run for president.
Jesse Lewis Jackson will be the first to tell you he’s come *** mighty long way from Greenville, North Carolina, the place where he was born to *** 16 year old unwed mother. Boyhood friends called him Bo Diddley, and by high school graduation, he was *** talented athlete who won *** football scholarship to the University of Illinois. He Finished his degree at North Carolina State. There he met Jacqueline Lavinia Brown, whom he later married. Civil rights marches were prevalent during his college years, and he became active in student movements. After 2.5 years as *** theology student, Jackson abandoned his studies and joined causes touted by Doctor Martin Luther King Jr. Over 20 years later, Jackson is *** serious presidential candidate, but still, he admits prejudices linger. If voters were color blind, do you think you’d be *** more attractive candidate? Well, that is the challenge to expand the American consciousness, uh, to include women and blacks, Hispanics and Asians and common people more and more. Uh, my race is self-evident. My, um, leadership qualities are obvious. What also is obvious to voters is the Jackson scene at the pulpit. down in their soul. The transition from preacher to politician has slowly evolved. Jackson has never before held elected office, but he says he’s proven his leadership ability. He calls himself an agent for change. He calls Ronald Reagan the premier world arms merchant. I ask Americans all over, how many of you own *** VCR? Almost every hand goes up. How many of you personally own MX missile? Almost no hands go up. The fact is we’re making what ain’t nobody buying. And therefore we’re in the deficit. If elected, Jackson says he’d reduce the deficit by reducing military expenditures. He’s been criticized for an inflated ego, but he defends the charge. It’s been reported that Jesse Jackson craves legitimacy. Is this true? Well, they, they may be right. All of us seek, seek affirmation, and we, and we avoid rejection. Uh, it is inconceivable to me that one would, would be president of our country. With an inferior Arctic complex, Jackson says the challenge for the next president will be to set *** moral tone, renew spirits of the people, and instill policies that rescue what he says could be wasted human ability.
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Jesse Jackson discussed his origins and his race for president in this 1988 interview
Rev. Jesse Jackson reflected on race, leadership and his run for president.
In this 1988 interview, Rev. Jesse Jackson reflected on his remarkable journey from humble beginnings in Greenville, North Carolina, to becoming a serious contender for the presidency. A former civil rights activist and close ally of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson spoke candidly about race, leadership, and the enduring challenge of expanding “the American consciousness to include women and blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and common people more and more.” Jackson also addressed questions about ego and ambition, arguing that no one with an “inferiority complex” should seek the presidency. This archival interview captures the conviction, candor, and moral urgency that defined his public life.Watch the full interview in the video above.Jesse Jackson died Tuesday at the age of 84.
In this 1988 interview, Rev. Jesse Jackson reflected on his remarkable journey from humble beginnings in Greenville, North Carolina, to becoming a serious contender for the presidency.
A former civil rights activist and close ally of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson spoke candidly about race, leadership, and the enduring challenge of expanding “the American consciousness to include women and blacks, Hispanics, Asians, and common people more and more.”
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Jackson also addressed questions about ego and ambition, arguing that no one with an “inferiority complex” should seek the presidency.
This archival interview captures the conviction, candor, and moral urgency that defined his public life.
Watch the full interview in the video above.
Jesse Jackson died Tuesday at the age of 84.
