Mass. leaders remember Jesse Jackson

Political leaders across the state are mourning the death of Rev. Jesse Jackson. He died at home at the age of 84.

Jackson made history as the first major Black candidate to seek the Democratic presidential nomination. He later founded the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, which advocates for and defends civil rights.

Closer to Massachusetts, Jackson was an influence on — and influenced by — the late Mel King, who ran for mayor in 1983. Michael Curry, NAACP national board member and head of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers, said Jackson's two runs for president, and King's run for mayor, showed that the country for too long had excluded people of color and women from helping society "deal with all the challenges of our time."

"What Mel King and Jesse Jackson represented was a cracking, if not breaking, that glass ceiling by saying, ‘No, we need to be at the table. We need to be in that leadership structure.’ " Curry said. "And not only just for Black folks, but for all people in Boston, all Massachusetts residents, all people in the nation."

Curry was among a chorus of local leaders who shared tributes to Jackson following his death.

Gov. Maura Healey said in a statement that Jackson “changed the course of history by demanding that America live up to its promises.” She called him a moral leader who empowered people to use their collective strength to push for justice and equality.

Attorney General Andrea Campbell called Jackson a “civil rights hero who dedicated his life to faith and justice.”

She quoted his famous “I am Somebody” speech in her post on Bluesky Tuesday.

“Rest in power, Rev. Jesse Jackson,” Campbell wrote. “I hold his words close to my heart and pass them down to my boys: ‘I must be respected, protected, never rejected. I am God’s child. I am Somebody.’”

Boston Mayor Michelle Wu expressed her condolences to Jackson’s family. She said Jackson was a “steadfast advocate” for all human rights and created a movement that united communities across demographics through his Rainbow PUSH Coalition.

“Boston joins the nation in honoring his extraordinary life, his prophetic voice, and his unwavering belief that America could be better than its past,” Wu said in a statement to WBUR.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren described Jackson as a “trailblazer and a fighter” for justice in the country.

“I had the privilege of speaking with him about his vision for a fairer, more equal and just country,” Warren wrote on Bluesky. “He has given a generation of leaders hope that we can and should keep fighting for that vision. He will be missed.”

Senator Ed Markey said Jackson believed that the “the desperate, the damned, the disinherited, the disrespected, and the despised” deserved a voice and political power.

“Now, we must work to keep his hope alive and secure true justice for all,” he said in a post online.

Democratic Whip Katherine Clark praised Jackson for dedicating his time and talents to building a more equitable country.

“Through a lifetime of extraordinary work, he called our country to conscience and inspired generations of changemakers,” she wrote. “My prayers are with his family and all who have been touched by his legacy.”