Floor SpeechCeremonial2026-04-14

COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE REVEREND JESSE LOUIS JACKSON, SR.

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Context

On 2026-04-14, Representative Gabe Amo (D-RI-1) delivered a floor speech titled "COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE REVEREND JESSE LOUIS JACKSON, SR." in the House. The speech addressed taxes and also covered foreign policy, trade policy.

Full Text

COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE REVEREND JESSE LOUIS JACKSON, SR.

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2877-H2879] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE REVEREND JESSE LOUIS JACKSON, SR. (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Fields of Louisiana was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.) Mr. FIELDS. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the Speaker for allowing the Congressional Black Caucus to use this first Special Order hour to commemorate the life and legacy of my mentor, my leader, and my friend, the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. I was a student with humble beginnings. There were nine siblings. My dad passed when I was 5 years old, so I was raised by a single parent. Given my circumstances, I was a young man caught between hope and expectations. I had hope to do a lot of things, but my expectations were not high. {time} 2010 I first had a chance to hear Reverend Jackson speak in 1978, some 48 years ago. I was a sophomore at McKinley Senior High School. All the kids in East Baton Rouge Parish were shuttled by bus to the Baton Rouge River Center to hear Reverend Jesse Jackson. After listening to Reverend Jackson's ``I Am Somebody'' speech, I connected the reality that I really was somebody. I didn't just have to hope to be, I could expect to be. Reverend Jackson's impact on my life at that time gave me hope and the audacity to believe. I believed that I was somebody. He made me dream beyond my circumstances. He changed what I thought and what was possible, and it was at that time that I came out of my shell. The next year, I became president of the Key Club, and then vice president of my senior class, all because of the ``I Am Somebody'' speech that impacted my life. After my time at McKinley, I went on to attend Southern University, where I continued to chase dreams. I went on to become the freshman class president, and then student body president in 1984, all because of the impact of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson. Forty-two years ago, my student body vice president, Michael Hurst, who was from Chicago, called me one day and said: The Reverend Jesse Jackson is coming to town, would you like me to introduce you to him? Obviously, I said: Yes, of course. Meeting the man who had made such an impression on me as a kid was extremely important. This was the same man that I saw speak as a 10th grader, who inspired me to believe that I was somebody. Now, I had an opportunity to meet him and talk to him one on one. That is when he made me his college coordinator, in 1984, for his Presidential campaign. I remember we were traveling the country. We were in Michigan, registering people to vote, and I got discouraged. I said to Reverend Jackson: These voters are just apathetic. He said: Cleo, there is no such thing as an apathetic voter. They are only uninspired, and it is our job to inspire every last one of them. That showed me that he wanted to see the best in everybody, and I chose to follow him because he was a light of hope. When I first thought about running for public office, the first political figure I talked to was Reverend Jesse Jackson. I know a lot of folk in Baton Rouge, but I wanted to talk to someone about the idea of a 24-year-old running for the Louisiana State senate, and I called Reverend Jackson. I thought the answer would have been: Start at city council or start at the school board. No, Jesse Jackson said: If you don't run, you can't win, and I did. Reverend Jackson ran for President again in 1988, 38 years ago. He called me, and he told me: I want you to serve as a youth coordinator for my 1988 campaign. I was traveling the country with him, campaigning for him. ``Keep hope alive'' was our slogan. Right before the Democratic National Convention, out of the blue, I got a call from his campaign manager, Ron Brown. He called me and said: Reverend Jackson wants you to speak on no first use of nuclear weapons at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. He put me on the national stage, a very young man. As a young elected official, I believed in him. In 1993, 33 years ago, I was elected to Congress. I was just 29 years of age. Once again, Reverend Jackson was there, supporting me every single step of the way, encouraging me, making me believe that I was capable. It wasn't just me. He inspired young leaders across America. As a result of his 1984 race and 1988 race for President, he inspired all of us, specifically a group of young leaders right here in this Congress. I remember. In 1994, Patrick Kennedy, at age 27, was elected to this Congress. I also had [[Page H2878]] the distinct opportunity to serve with his own son, Jesse Jackson, Jr., only 30 years old in 1995. I had a chance to serve with him. Don't forget, in 1996, a gentleman by the name of Harold Washington, Jr., was elected to this body, all inspired by Reverend Jesse Jackson. Upon being reelected to Congress in 2025, I have had the opportunity to serve with one other Jackson, and that is Reverend Jackson's son as well, and that is Jonathan Jackson. Jesse Jackson has inspired us all. Every time I ran for office, Reverend Jackson was there. Every office I have ever been elected to, he was there to support me. Without his early inspiration and guidance, I wouldn't be here on this floor speaking to you tonight. There is not a single individual in this world, outside of my mother, who had more of an impact on my life than the man we are here to celebrate tonight. I thank him, and I thank you for gathering as we commemorate his wonderful life and his legacy. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore). Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I just want to rise today to thank my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus for organizing this Special Order hour and for honoring the life and legacy of the late, great Reverend Jackson, Sr., a man who truly taught us all how to keep hope alive. Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., is not only a friend to the Congressional Black Caucus, but he was a friend of all of ours individually and collectively. He had a very humble birth, born to a single mother, and started his political life by being arrested for protesting around not being admitted to a segregated library and became one of the storied Greenville Eight in that protest. Of course, you will hear from others tonight about his association with the late, great Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. You will hear about his leadership at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, his founding of Rainbow PUSH, his negotiating the release of American hostages in various parts of the world, his running for the President of United States, both in 1984 and 1988. I lived 90 miles from Chicago, and so I know the Reverend Jackson who would just show up at random, unknown people's grandmother's funeral. I knew the Reverend Jackson, who showed up in Milwaukee long before I was elected to anything, as I stand here in Congress today. As I looked through all of my photographs, I saw pictures of Reverend Jackson in Milwaukee, working with local leadership and the NAACP around open housing in Milwaukee. As I looked through those photos, I saw pictures of me as a State representative, a newly elected member to the Wisconsin Assembly as our city went through the horror of Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial murderer who killed Black men in our community, and Reverend Jackson was there hugging family members of those victims, praying with them and offering them his clergy support. {time} 2020 As I looked through my pictures, I saw photos of Reverend Jackson coming to help us get out the vote, continuously, year after year, in our very purple State. I saw with my own eyes the Reverend Jackson comforting a victim of police brutality, the murder of Dontre Hamilton, and coming there to support us in the protest and to comfort the mother of this victim. An unarmed Black man, lying on a park bench, was found dead at the hands of a policeman. One of the most remarkable things that I was able to experience was when he went to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Do you all remember Kyle Rittenhouse? Do you all remember how Kyle Rittenhouse was being lifted up as some sort of hero by White vigilantes, even some of those White vigilantes who are here serving as public figures in Washington, D.C.? I won't mention any names, Mr. Speaker. Reverend Jackson was sitting there, plotting and planning with the clergy in Kenosha, with community-based organizations, to form an alternative activity: to provide COVID tests to people; to organize a festive atmosphere with balloons for the children and food vendors, all in response to the counter-programming that was intended to rile up the Black community. Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., I got a chance to just witness, up close and personal, the behind-the-scenes brilliance. I had seen the upfront brilliance, but this was the behind-the-scenes brilliance that I was able to see. Reverend Jackson implored us to believe in the mantra that ``I am somebody'' and urged us to keep hope alive. Let me just say in closing, Mr. Speaker, that Reverend Jackson probably understood better than any of us that the mission is enduring and that no one life could be the be-all. He has passed the baton now. He is the one who carried it with dignity and strength, with determination and doggedness. I want to close with the Scripture from the Apostle Paul in II Timothy 4:7. As he saw the end of his life approaching, and carried on by the Holy Spirit, he wrote these words: I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. Reverend Jackson, Jesse, you have fought the good fight; you finished the race; and you kept the faith. Mr. Speaker, may we all carry forth this legacy, and may we continue to keep h

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COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE REVEREND JESSE LOUIS JACKSON, SR. Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 65 (Tuesday, April 14, 2026)] [House] [Pages H2877-H2879] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] COMMEMORATING THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF THE REVEREND JESSE LOUIS JACKSON, SR. (Under the Speaker's announced policy of January 3, 2025, Mr. Fields of Louisiana was recognized for 60 minutes as the designee of the minority leader.) Mr. FIELDS. Mr. Speaker, let me first thank the Speaker for allowing the Congressional Black Caucus to use this first Special Order hour to commemorate the life and legacy of my mentor, my leader, and my friend, the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr. I was a student with humble beginnings. There were nine siblings. My dad passed when I was 5 years old, so I was raised by a single parent. Given my circumstances, I was a young man caught between hope and expectations. I had hope to do a lot of things, but my expectations were not high. {time} 2010 I first had a chance to hear Reverend Jackson speak in 1978, some 48 years ago. I was a sophomore at McKinley Senior High School. All the kids in East Baton Rouge Parish were shuttled by bus to the Baton Rouge River Center to hear Reverend Jesse Jackson. After listening to Reverend Jackson's ``I Am Somebody'' speech, I connected the reality that I really was somebody. I didn't just have to hope to be, I could expect to be. Reverend Jackson's impact on my life at that time gave me hope and the audacity to believe. I believed that I was somebody. He made me dream beyond my circumstances. He changed what I thought and what was possible, and it was at that time that I came out of my shell. The next year, I became president of the Key Club, and then vice president of my senior class, all because of the ``I Am Somebody'' speech that impacted my life. After my time at McKinley, I went on to attend Southern University, where I continued to chase dreams. I went on to become the freshman class president, and then student body president in 1984, all because of the impact of Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson. Forty-two years ago, my student body vice president, Michael Hurst, who was from Chicago, called me one day and said: The Reverend Jesse Jackson is coming to town, would you like me to introduce you to him? Obviously, I said: Yes, of course. Meeting the man who had made such an impression on me as a kid was extremely important. This was the same man that I saw speak as a 10th grader, who inspired me to believe that I was somebody. Now, I had an opportunity to meet him and talk to him one on one. That is when he made me his college coordinator, in 1984, for his Presidential campaign. I remember we were traveling the country. We were in Michigan, registering people to vote, and I got discouraged. I said to Reverend Jackson: These voters are just apathetic. He said: Cleo, there is no such thing as an apathetic voter. They are only uninspired, and it is our job to inspire every last one of them. That showed me that he wanted to see the best in everybody, and I chose to follow him because he was a light of hope. When I first thought about running for public office, the first political figure I talked to was Reverend Jesse Jackson. I know a lot of folk in Baton Rouge, but I wanted to talk to someone about the idea of a 24-year-old running for the Louisiana State senate, and I called Reverend Jackson. I thought the answer would have been: Start at city council or start at the school board. No, Jesse Jackson said: If you don't run, you can't win, and I did. Reverend Jackson ran for President again in 1988, 38 years ago. He called me, and he told me: I want you to serve as a youth coordinator for my 1988 campaign. I was traveling the country with him, campaigning for him. ``Keep hope alive'' was our slogan. Right before the Democratic National Convention, out of the blue, I got a call from his campaign manager, Ron Brown. He called me and said: Reverend Jackson wants you to speak on no first use of nuclear weapons at the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta. He put me on the national stage, a very young man. As a young elected official, I believed in him. In 1993, 33 years ago, I was elected to Congress. I was just 29 years of age. Once again, Reverend Jackson was there, supporting me every single step of the way, encouraging me, making me believe that I was capable. It wasn't just me. He inspired young leaders across America. As a result of his 1984 race and 1988 race for President, he inspired all of us, specifically a group of young leaders right here in this Congress. I remember. In 1994, Patrick Kennedy, at age 27, was elected to this Congress. I also had [[Page H2878]] the distinct opportunity to serve with his own son, Jesse Jackson, Jr., only 30 years old in 1995. I had a chance to serve with him. Don't forget, in 1996, a gentleman by the name of Harold Washington, Jr., was elected to this body, all inspired by Reverend Jesse Jackson. Upon being reelected to Congress in 2025, I have had the opportunity to serve with one other Jackson, and that is Reverend Jackson's son as well, and that is Jonathan Jackson. Jesse Jackson has inspired us all. Every time I ran for office, Reverend Jackson was there. Every office I have ever been elected to, he was there to support me. Without his early inspiration and guidance, I wouldn't be here on this floor speaking to you tonight. There is not a single individual in this world, outside of my mother, who had more of an impact on my life than the man we are here to celebrate tonight. I thank him, and I thank you for gathering as we commemorate his wonderful life and his legacy. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentlewoman from Wisconsin (Ms. Moore). Ms. MOORE of Wisconsin. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I just want to rise today to thank my colleagues in the Congressional Black Caucus for organizing this Special Order hour and for honoring the life and legacy of the late, great Reverend Jackson, Sr., a man who truly taught us all how to keep hope alive. Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., is not only a friend to the Congressional Black Caucus, but he was a friend of all of ours individually and collectively. He had a very humble birth, born to a single mother, and started his political life by being arrested for protesting around not being admitted to a segregated library and became one of the storied Greenville Eight in that protest. Of course, you will hear from others tonight about his association with the late, great Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr. You will hear about his leadership at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, his founding of Rainbow PUSH, his negotiating the release of American hostages in various parts of the world, his running for the President of United States, both in 1984 and 1988. I lived 90 miles from Chicago, and so I know the Reverend Jackson who would just show up at random, unknown people's grandmother's funeral. I knew the Reverend Jackson, who showed up in Milwaukee long before I was elected to anything, as I stand here in Congress today. As I looked through all of my photographs, I saw pictures of Reverend Jackson in Milwaukee, working with local leadership and the NAACP around open housing in Milwaukee. As I looked through those photos, I saw pictures of me as a State representative, a newly elected member to the Wisconsin Assembly as our city went through the horror of Jeffrey Dahmer, a serial murderer who killed Black men in our community, and Reverend Jackson was there hugging family members of those victims, praying with them and offering them his clergy support. {time} 2020 As I looked through my pictures, I saw photos of Reverend Jackson coming to help us get out the vote, continuously, year after year, in our very purple State. I saw with my own eyes the Reverend Jackson comforting a victim of police brutality, the murder of Dontre Hamilton, and coming there to support us in the protest and to comfort the mother of this victim. An unarmed Black man, lying on a park bench, was found dead at the hands of a policeman. One of the most remarkable things that I was able to experience was when he went to Kenosha, Wisconsin. Do you all remember Kyle Rittenhouse? Do you all remember how Kyle Rittenhouse was being lifted up as some sort of hero by White vigilantes, even some of those White vigilantes who are here serving as public figures in Washington, D.C.? I won't mention any names, Mr. Speaker. Reverend Jackson was sitting there, plotting and planning with the clergy in Kenosha, with community-based organizations, to form an alternative activity: to provide COVID tests to people; to organize a festive atmosphere with balloons for the children and food vendors, all in response to the counter-programming that was intended to rile up the Black community. Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., I got a chance to just witness, up close and personal, the behind-the-scenes brilliance. I had seen the upfront brilliance, but this was the behind-the-scenes brilliance that I was able to see. Reverend Jackson implored us to believe in the mantra that ``I am somebody'' and urged us to keep hope alive. Let me just say in closing, Mr. Speaker, that Reverend Jackson probably understood better than any of us that the mission is enduring and that no one life could be the be-all. He has passed the baton now. He is the one who carried it with dignity and strength, with determination and doggedness. I want to close with the Scripture from the Apostle Paul in II Timothy 4:7. As he saw the end of his life approaching, and carried on by the Holy Spirit, he wrote these words: I have fought the good fight; I have finished the race; I have kept the faith. Reverend Jackson, Jesse, you have fought the good fight; you finished the race; and you kept the faith. Mr. Speaker, may we all carry forth this legacy, and may we continue to keep h