Horace Sheffield III was only 10 years old when he met the Rev. Jesse Jackson for the first time in the 1960s, a moment that happened through his father, Detroit labor leader Horace Sheffield Jr.
“I was what they would call a child of the movement,” Sheffield said. “Fortunately for me, my dad took me to a lot of places.”
As an adult who would follow in Jackson’s footsteps and become an activist and a pastor, the civil rights icon’s life and accomplishments were admirable for Sheffield.
“At a much younger age, I was more interested in politics than I was in religion, so the things he (Jackson) was doing, with respect to running for president and all that was something that was very motivating to me,” he said.
Political and community leaders across Detroit and Michigan are remembering Jackson, who died Tuesday morning. He was 84.
Santita Jackson told the Associated Press that her father, who had a rare neurological disorder called progressive supranuclear palsy, died at home in Chicago, surrounded by family.Â
Throughout his decades-long career, Jackson advocated for the poor and people of color in the United States and overseas on issues from voting rights and job opportunities to education and health care. He scored diplomatic victories with world leaders, and through his Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, he channeled cries for Black pride and self-determination into corporate boardrooms, pressuring executives to make America a more equitable society.
Despite profound health challenges in his final years, which also included Parkinson’s disease, Jackson continued to fight for social justice. In 2024, he appeared at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago and at a City Council meeting to show support for a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Tuesday released a statement on social media, calling Jackson a “fierce advocate for justice, equality and prosperity for all.” She added that she was honored to work with him on their shared goals of advocating for the working people.
“Rev. Jackson had a special connection to Michigan and especially the city of Detroit,” Whitmer said. “He visited often, standing with labor, working with local leaders, and inspiring the next generation of changemakers.”
Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel also released a statement about Jackson, saying his 1988 presidential campaign, where he won Michigan and 10 other states, “helped pave the way for Black candidates at every level of the ballot in Michigan and across the country.”
“Jackson was a tireless fighter for working families, voting rights, public education, and more, and his impact on Michigan, the Democratic Party, and the entire nation cannot be overstated,” Hertel said. “Rev. Jesse Jackson’s loss is felt deeply today, across Michigan and across the country, and his lifelong dedication to service and activism will remain an example for generations of leaders to come.”
Jackson’s ties to Michigan
Sheffield said Jackson was a longtime supporter of The Detroit Association of Black Organizations (DABO), often attending or speaking at its events. The civil rights nonprofit was founded by Sheffield Jr. and is currently operated by the younger Sheffield.
Most recently, the two worked together last year, opposing unfair treatment by the FCC of minority-owned telecommunications enterprises. Even when he was ill, Jackson still showed up to meetings virtually, Sheffield said.
“Some people who are important don’t really resonate well with folks,” he said. “They don’t have a sense of connection; you don’t feel like it’s just you and them at that moment. That was not true for Rev. Jackson. He had a calming touch.”
Jesse Louis Jackson was born Oct. 8, 1941, in Greenville, South Carolina. Before he became interested in civil rights work, Jackson was a star athlete, serving as the quarterback of the football team at his high school in Greenville, the AP reported. He received a football scholarship from the University of Illinois, but after reportedly being told that Black people couldn’t play quarterback, Jackson transferred to North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, where he became the first-string quarterback and an honor student.
By 1965, Jackson became heavily involved in the civil rights movement, joining Martin Luther King Jr.’s march for voting rights from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. Jackson was there with King in Memphis, Tennessee when he was assassinated on April 4, 1968.
In 1971, Jackson left the Southern Christian Leadership Conference to form his own civil rights organization, Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity). The Chicago-based organization was dedicated to improving the economic conditions of Black communities across the United States, including pushing large corporations to hire more people of color in leadership roles.
In 1996, Jackson merged Operation PUSH and his other organization National Rainbow Coalition into the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. Two years later, the organization launched the Rainbow PUSH Automotive Project in Detroit, with a purpose of working with automotive manufacturing companies to ensure Black people and other people of color have access to opportunities at every level of the industry.
Jackson’s family released a statement on Rainbow PUSH’s website Tuesday, saying Jackson’s life of advancing equality and amplifying the voices of the underserved in the United States and abroad made him a “true humanitarian and world leader.”
“Beyond his public achievements, Reverend Jackson will be remembered as a loving husband, father, grandfather and spiritual guide,” the organization said. “Reverend Jackson’s passing marks the end of an era, but his vision of justice, equality, and unity will live on through the countless lives he touched.”
Impact in Detroit
Jackson had a long history with Detroit and Michigan, visiting the state several times throughout his career. In 1983, he launched his first presidential campaign in Flint and in 1988 – when he ran again – that’s when Jackson won the state’s Democratic caucus.
Detroit NAACP President Rev. Wendell Anthony remembered the day Jackson won the primary, as he hosted a community rally at his church, Fellowship Chapel. He said in a statement that Jackson was “a whirlwind that blew against the indignities and the discrimination entrenched within the very body of America.”
Jackson will be honored at the organization’s 71st annual Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner on April 26.
“Jesse Jackson will long be remembered not only for the signature big afro that he used to wear, but for the signature he placed upon the hearts of those to demonstrate how much he did care,” Anthony said. “His life and work should be studied in schools and universities throughout the world. He is in a category that only a few people have ever been able to achieve. America is a better nation because of Jesse Jackson.”
When Detroit entered bankruptcy in 2013, Jackson led protests against a state emergency manager taking partial authority over the city. He also spoke at the funerals of fellow civil rights activist Rosa Parks in 2005 and singer Aretha Franklin in 2018. Jackson was known to show up unannounced at the Detroit News and Free Press during visits to the city, seeking to speak with their respective editorial boards about the issues of the day.
Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist called Jackson a mentor, saying in a statement that the civil rights leader reinforced in him that “speaking the truth is always the right thing to do.”
“Reverend Jesse Jackson was a once-in-a-lifetime leader who believed in the power of ordinary people to win the ongoing battle for justice, equality and freedom,” he said. “He loved Michigan, spending time in our communities and with our people.”
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids) echoed Jackson’s love for Michigan and its residents in a statement.
“Rev. Jackson was a friend to Michigan, coming here often to speak at a rally, encourage young people to vote, or walk a picket line with striking workers,” Brinks said. “As we mourn his loss, we also reaffirm our dedication to the causes he fought for, knowing that there is still much work to do.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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