Jesse Jackson

American Baptist minister, civil rights leader, writer and businessman. Jackson is a spellbinding political preacher who electrified the 1984 Democratic convention with his famous "tent revival sermon." As candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988, he finished second in the Democratic primaries over Al Gore, Richard Gephardt and Bruce Babbitt in 1988. Jackson is the nation's preeminent black activist and his stature as a free-lance ambassador in some Third World countries has been extremely impressive on the international stage. He has the ability to mediate high-profile releases of prisoners where other diplomats have failed. Jackson writes a weekly editorial column that appears in 80 newspapers around the U.S. and addresses a daily radio program. A preacher of hymns and chants that stress black pride in America, he won a 1988 Grammy award for best spoken-word recording. Jackson was born out-of-wedlock from a poor mother. As a child, people called him "bastard." When his mother married postal employee, Henry Jackson, Jesse took his stepfather's name as his own. An outstanding athlete, Jackson played many sports in school. He went on to attend the University of Illinois in 1959 but left in 1960. He transferred to the Agricultural and Technical College in Greensboro, North Carolina and was the star quarterback for the football team. He was president of his student body and offered a professional football position with the New York Giants. In 1964, he earned his B.A. in sociology and economics. In 1965, he won a scholarship to the Chicago Theological Seminary. He became a civil rights activist and protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and worked with him for two years until King's death on 4/04/1968. Jackson became an ordained Baptist minister in 1968. He gradually moved away from King's Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1971 Jackson founded PUSH, The People United to Save Humanity, a Chicago-based civil rights group concerned with the well-being of the nation's inner cities. By the end of the '70s, Jackson had become virtually the only sole national voice of African-Americans in the U.S. An imposing and magnetic speaker with a dominating presence Jackson amazed the country in 1984 with his run for the presidency. He preached for racial cooperation, "Rainbow Coalition" and economic hope for everyone, "Keep Hope Alive." He helped register millions of blacks and galvanized major black voting blocks for Democratic political candidates for mayoral seats and governorships. In the late 1970s, Jackson began his forays into the international diplomacy scene upsetting the Reagan and Bush administrations with his visits to PLO leader Yassir Arafat. In 1984, Jackson's diplomacy won the release of American flyer, Lt. Robert O. Goodman, Jr. from Syria. On 5/2/1999, Jackson won the release of three American servicemen by meeting with Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic. While the families of captives praise his actions, others have called Jackson a "publicity seeker." Jackson successfully mediates numerous disputes in the United States between workers and management. In January 1999, he prodded Seattle firm aircraft manufacturer, Boeing Co. to settle two class action discrimination lawsuits brought on by African American workers. In Cambridge, Massachusetts he quoted the Bible and scolded Harvard University for its unfair labor practices to the maids, cooks and technical workers. Jackson's style is to side with the underdogs and uses his imposing and dominating presence to publicly shame the other side. At 6'2 and 220 pounds, Jackson is an inexhaustible workaholic with a large ego evident back in the years working for Dr. Martin Luther King. Highly disorganized, Jackson was known to spontaneously "winging it" during televised debates with political opponents. At the age of 20, Jackson met 18-year-old Jacqueline Davis Brown at his college in Greensboro, North Carolina. Like her future husband, Jacqueline came from humble beginnings. She was the daughter of a 15-year-old unwed migrant worker. They married in 1963 and produced five children, daughter Santita in 1964, son Jesse Jr. in 1965, Jonathan in 1966, Yusef in 1971 and Jacqueline in 1976. The couple have been together over 25 years despite persistent rumors of Jesse's infidelities. At one time the preacher was linked to soul singer Roberta Flack, 1973. Friends say that in the early stages of the marriage Jackson's frequent absences from home strained his marriage and his celebrity status became a problem for the Jackson household. By 1988, his wife Jackie was running the Jackson's speaker agency, Personalities International, Inc. that books speakers and gospel singers for organizations. Jackson feels he is a devoted father and family man and tries to take one of his children with him on his many trips. On 1/18/2001, his publicist released a statement that Jackson admitted to an extramarital affair with former aide Karin Stanford, 39, that resulted in the birth of a daughter, now 20 months old. "I fully accept responsibility and I am truly sorry for my actions," said Rev. Jackson, who added that he has provided "emotional and financial support" to the child since her birth. "As her mother does, I love this child very much." His love of the child is apparently long distance, as Jackson quietly paid Stanford $35,000 to relocate to Los Angeles and $3,000 a month in child support. In some circles, that sort of "emotional support" is called hush-money. Jackson avows that the money came from his private account, not, of course, from church funds. The Reverend counseled Bill Clinton during the Lewinski scandal in a remarkable bonding of hypocrisy, at the same time taking his mistress to the White House to meet the president. He said that he intended to spend some private time with his family before he returns to his public life. Jackson has been married for 38 years. "My wife Jackie and my children have been made aware of the child, and it has been an extremely painful, trying and difficult time for them," Jackson said. After three days spent in family reconciliation, he returned to public life and his role in the ministry; apparently sufficient time for his family to forgive and the public to forget. Link to Wikipedia biography