Jesse Jackson’s most iconic speeches as civil rights leader dies aged 84

WorldPolitics
17 Feb 2026 • 10:04 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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Jesse Jackson, longtime civil rights leader and two-time presidential candidate, has died at the age of 84.

Announcing his death, his family paid tribute to Jackson as a “servant leader - not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world”.

A protégé of Martin Luther King Jr., Jackson became well known for his engaging and rousing speeches that championed racial equality.

From his call-and-response chant, known as “I Am Somebody”, which encouraged people to uplift themselves, to his “Rainbow Coalition” speech, which advocated for a broad alliance of marginalised groups, The Independent takes a look at some of Jackson’s most iconic speeches.

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