With sorrow and respect, the AFL-CIO Executive Council honors the life and memory of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering moral force whose lifelong commitment to justice reshaped both the labor and civil rights movements and left a lasting mark on the nation.
Throughout his life, the Rev. Jackson fought tirelessly for workers, both in the United States and around the world. He was an organizer for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference before being appointed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to serve as the national director of Operation Breadbasket. There, he led boycotts and campaigns that secured thousands of new jobs for Black workers.
His two presidential campaigns would break barriers and expand the political imagination of our country. The organizations he founded, Operation PUSH and the National Rainbow Coalition—which later united as Rainbow PUSH Coalition—brought communities together in the singular pursuit of civil rights and social and economic justice.
Jackson upheld the labor movement’s highest ideals, and stood with workers on the strike line, at major mobilizations and rallies, and at the bargaining table, and insisted that women and people of color be fully included in union protections.
On the international stage, Jackson confronted global corporations to defend the dignity and rights of workers across supply chains. At every turn, he reminded us that the fight for good jobs, living wages, and union rights is inseparable from the fight for justice and equality.
As the AFL-CIO Executive Council honors the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s memory, we reaffirm his belief that “the American worker is not asking for welfare, he’s asking for a fair share—not for charity but for parity.” We send our deepest condolences to his family and loved ones, and all who are mourning this immeasurable loss.