Omo, Naija people! Wetin I go tell you na this: Reverend Jesse Jackson don pack him load comot for dis earth. Him don waka go meet Martin Luther King Jr. We fit talk say him na one of di biggest face for civil rights matter for America and di whole world. Jesse Jackson, wey just celebrate him 84 birthday, don finally rest for Tuesday, na wetin him family talk.
For di statement wey di Jackson family drop, dem talk say, “Our father was a servant leader.” Dem talk say him no just lead him family but also di oppressed and voiceless people for everywhere. Him voice na wetin carry hope for many, and dem dey ask us make we continue di fight for di values wey him hold strong till di end.”
No eye issues wey we dey hear about wetin kill am but wetin we sabi na say for more than ten years, Jackson dey battle with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Na one serious waka wey dey affect di way wey person dey move and swallow, and e fit lead to plenty complications. Him sef make mouth say e don catch COVID-19 two times, so you fit imagine di kind battle wey e dey fight.
Jackson no be ordinary person o! Him start di political matter since 1960s, when e dey hang around Martin Luther King Jr. He don run for president two times, for 1984 and 1988. Na him fight way dey open door for other Black candidates like Obama. Him don jam di press when him talk say, “I was a trailblazer. I had to deal with doubt and cynicism and fears about a Black person running.”
E don show say even Black people dey doubt wetin we fit achieve. But today, we fit sabi say Jackson make history! Na so e boast say, “It was a big moment in history,” after Obama win di presidential election.
As di pandemic come spread, na wetin Jackson dey use him voice fight against di disparity wey dey ground, especially for how African Americans dey suffer more. Him talk say, “After 400 years of slavery, why anybody go dey shock?” Dat na real gist o! Him don pull us back to di koko of di matter: di fight for equality no fit end.
Jesse Jackson born for October 8, 1941 for Greenville, South Carolina. Him dey involved in politics from young age, and na him dey lead di Black students in primary school when wetin turn to a sit-in for di white-only library happen in 1960! Dem arrest am together with him padi dem but di judge later talk say dem fit use di library. Na so di library come turn to di integrated place!
Jackson later join di Chicago Theological Seminary, but e no finish before e run come follow King join di Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Jackson’s bravery on di field dey shine like light. On di day wey King die for 1968, Jackson dey there, and dat one change hin life forever.
After King waka go, Jackson no slack; e open hin own organization, People United to Save Humanity (PUSH) and di fight no stop. Him don challenge di system and always dey call for better life for di Black people. In 1984, e run for president, wey him go win more than 18% of di primary vote, make dem sabi say na better work we dey follow.
Jackson no just dey work for America! Him don go everywhere, negotiate for di release of plenty kiwis wey dey hold people for Syria, Cuba, and Iraq. Dis man dey work hard! Bill Clinton even award am di Presidential Medal of Freedom for di work wey him don do.
Even with di challenges wey dey come like scandal wey show say e get pikin outside marriage, him come out talk say, “This na my responsibility.” Na real man! Jackson stand for wetin e believe, speak truth to power, and always dey fight for di voiceless. Him go dey miss, but di many wey him don inspire go continue di legacy. Gist don end here, but make we no forget di fight for justice and equality.
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