A Predecessor To Recent Black Presidential Candidates, Al Sharpton And Barack Obama, Jesse Jackson Was The First African American To Be Taken Seriously As A Contender For A Major Political Party Nomination (Eldridge Cleaver Ran For President In 1968 And Shirley Chisholm Vied For The Office In 1972).
Jackson's Campaign Has Been Called "one of the most dramatic developments in modern American political history." The Long-Time Civil Rights Activist Proposed The Creation Of A New Political Alliance, The Rainbow Coalition.
Based On The Concept Of Economic Justice,
The Coalition Was To Be Composed Of Individuals Traditionally Marginalized By The American System -- African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Arab Americans, Asian Americans, Elderly Women, The Poor, The Disabled And Small-Scale Farmers.
In The 1984 Primary Elections Jackson Got 2.5 Million Black Votes And 800,000 Votes From Non-Blacks, Giving Him 10 Percent Of The Total White Primary Vote.
He Ran Again In 1988 And Received 20 Percent Of The White Primary Vote.
"In Order For Black History To Live, We Must Continue To Breathe Life Into It." -- Hubert Gaddy, Jr.
07 May BLACK IN TIME: A Moment In Our History
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Jesse Jackson
"Campaigning In Free Verse," An Article About Rev. Jesse Jackson's Bid For The 1984 Democratic Presidential Nomination, Appeared In The May 7, 1984 Issue Of Time Magazine.
