Rev. Jackson Lies in State: A Life of Activism

0:00On March 2, Reverend Anne, Jesse Jackson Sr. is receiving final honors in his home state of South Carolina, where his body will lie in state at the Capitol on Monday. Born in Greenville, the civil rights icon fought segregation from a young age and built a lifetime career advocating for equality. He passed away on February 17 at age 84 after a long battle with a rare neurological disorder. His activism kicked off in 1960 in segregated Greenville when he led black high school students into a white's only library branch. They read quietly until arrested, sparking change as the doors opened to everyone soon after. Jackson caught the eye of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. joining the famous voting rights march from Selma to Montgomery. Over decades, Jackson championed voting rights, jobs, education, and health care for the poor and underrepresented. Through his rainbow P.U.S. coalition, he pushed corporations for fairness and black pride.

1:01He ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, stepping up as a leader after King's death. Jackson stayed active in South Carolina, advocating in 2003 for Martin Luther King Jr. holiday in Greenville County and in 20. Fifteen for removing the Confederate flag from state house grounds after the Charleston Church shooting, he's only the second black man to lie in state at the Capitol. Following state Senator Clementa Pinkney, these South Carolina events fit into two weeks of nationwide tributes, starting with public viewing at a Chicago rainbow P.U.S. headquarters, followed by a big celebration at a mega church there in final services. A planned Washington service is on hold for now, capping a legacy that transformed fights for justice into real progress.