He ran twice for president, in 1984 and 1988, founded the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition and met with dozens of world leaders. Even as he was ill, he was still working for civil rights well into the Black Lives Matter era. In 2024, he appeared at the National Democratic Convention to advocate for a cease fire in the war between Israel and Hamas.
Montgomery County Commissioner Mary McDonald said Jackson impacted her life as he wanted the best for everyone and believed everyone had potential to be great.
“He believed all men had the opportunity to be the same,” she said. “That’s what I use as the foundation of what I do.”
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
Derrick Foward, the president of the Dayton Unit NAACP, said Jackson’s work “pushed forth civil rights.”
When Jackson ran for president in 1984 and 1988, he brought the issues of racial inequality to a national stage, Foward said.
Foward said Jackson brought a sense of hope to Americans, and encouraged them to keep moving in the face of adversity.
“His legacy is one of tireless service, not only for the African American community, but for the broader coalition of human rights,” Foward said.
Vanessa Ward, chief executive officer at Omega Community Development Corporation, which works in northwest Dayton, said she and her husband hosted Jackson at Omega Baptist Church.
She called his death “a great loss.”
“The messaging he planted will continue, and reinforce who we are as people and as we continue to fight,” Ward said.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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