Friday, February 20, 2026, episode of the podcast The Excerpt: Jesse Jackson, one of America’s most influential civil rights leaders, spent decades translating his moral beliefs into public action. A two-time Democratic presidential candidate, Jackson’s unwavering advocacy for justice and equality made him one of the world’s most prominent black activists. USA TODAY national correspondent Trevor Hughes joins The Excerpt to explore his legacy.
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Jesse Jackson:
We do not need to simply return to the primitive days of fighting to become a better race. This is a contradiction because there is only one race called humanity.
Dana Taylor:
Jesse Jackson spent decades as a public figure translating his moral beliefs into public action. Jackson was a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Democratic presidential candidate, and one of the world’s most famous black activists. Jesse Jackson passed away earlier this week on Tuesday morning, February 17th, at the age of 84, after a long illness.
Hello. Welcome to this excerpt from USA TODAY. I’m Dana Taylor. Today is Friday, February 20, 2026. To learn more about the life and accomplishments of the late Jesse Jackson, visit USA TODAY national correspondent Trevor Hughes. Trevor, thank you so much for joining us.
Trevor Hughes:
Yes, I’m glad I came here.
Dana Taylor:
Trevor, as you wrote, Jesse Jackson was an icon of the civil rights movement. His civil rights story began in a public library in Greenville, South Carolina. Please tell us about Greenville Eight.
Trevor Hughes:
This is one of those stories that feels like an ancient tale, but it’s not. This was in 1960. Jesse Jackson was home from college studying theology and needed a book from the library. Now, at that time, racial discrimination was legal under Jim Crow laws. And the book he needed was in a white-only library. He tried to rent it, but they wouldn’t lend it to him. Even though it was only a few steps away, they told him to come back in maybe a week and they would make it available. So he and some friends took a bold step. They entered the white library and began reading books. They sat and read books. They didn’t talk, didn’t bother people, just sat and read books. And this angered the community so much that these young men and women were arrested for violating the law. Although it eventually led to the desegregation of public libraries in the community, it was actually one of the first places he began his civic work.
Dana Taylor:
Like the late Congressman John Lewis, who passed away in 2020, Jesse Jackson’s civil rights legacy is tied to Martin Luther King Jr. What was Jackson’s connection to MLK?
Trevor Hughes:
The two were born around the same time and were colleagues, and after Jesse Jackson graduated from college, he moved to Chicago to help with Dr. King’s surgery. A protest was organized and they called it Operation Breadbasket. But the two had such a deep connection that when Dr. King was murdered, Jesse Jackson actually took over the role and existed throughout this country as a sort of conscience of American civil rights.
Dana Taylor:
Jackson was a pioneer in American politics. He ran for president in 1984 and 1988. Trevor, how did these campaigns shape the politics of the Coalition?
Trevor Hughes:
I think people are starting to realize that we have a very strong constituency here. Jesse Jackson worked to build this coalition and his group was called the Rainbow Push Coalition. And he really helped lay the foundation for the modern Democratic Party. The Democratic Party was constructed by bringing together disparate groups of people who perhaps did not clearly identify with any particular type of belief or worldview. So he really spoke to a wide range of people who care about civil rights, racial justice, and economic justice. Because that was a big part of what he was pushing.
Dana Taylor:
And, of course, he did not hesitate to get involved in foreign politics. What can he share here about his work negotiating the release of American hostages?
Trevor Hughes:
Although often forgotten as he has been away from public life in recent years due to a long battle with illness, Jesse Jackson was a very powerful name. So he was actually able to travel around the world and free a lot of hostages in Syria and even in Cuba. Even though he wasn’t in the government, he was in a sense a member of the American people, and that apparently made him very successful.
Dana Taylor:
Presidents on both sides of the aisle spoke highly of Jackson, including current President Donald Trump. What did he say after Jesse Jackson died?
Trevor Hughes:
In a social media post, the President said that, unbeknownst to me, he had been providing office space to the Jackson Coalition in New York City for quite some time. They were both in New York City and working at the same time. However, it is important to remember that the two men differed greatly over the fate of the Central Park Five. As you may recall, this was an incident in which five young black and Hispanic men were arrested for raping and assaulting a woman in Central Park. President Trump, he was a New York businessman at the time, actually put out newspaper ads calling for the death penalty and calling for these young people to be executed. They were ultimately acquitted, which actually separated Mr. Jackson from President Trump.
Dana Taylor:
And how did other leaders assess his death?
Trevor Hughes:
Oh, I think you really see the influence of Jesse Jackson all over the country, from California to Ohio to Illinois… He had a tremendous influence on so many politicians, especially Democratic politicians. They saw his work in coalition building and his work focused on civil rights and labor rights as truly coveted.
Dana Taylor:
We know that Jesse Jackson was a passionate defender of civil rights. That includes putting pressure on companies about their employment practices. Can you tell us something about that push?
Trevor Hughes:
I think one of the things that really made his name famous was Operation Breadbasket in Chicago. It was a revolutionary idea at the time that members of the black community would not patronize businesses that did not hire black people. Again, we are often talking about a time in America when racism was not only widely accepted, but legal. And his coalition and Operation Breadbasket really kicked that into gear and really brought attention to the idea that black communities don’t patronize businesses that don’t support them.
And today we received a press release from the union representing hotel and restaurant workers in Las Vegas. They mourn his death as he marched with them under threat of arrest. And while no arrests were made, he was there to give workers a voice against these big corporations that own the casinos.
Dana Taylor:
Like Martin Luther King, Jesse Jackson was a pastor and a powerful speaker. The rhythm of the black church was always evident in his speeches. Can you give us some examples of his memorable signature style?
Trevor Hughes:
There are two types: one that is very serious and one that is a bit funny. He often led chants of “I am.” And the idea was that you have value as a person and are important to society. And that call and response was really great…I get chills thinking about it because I’ve heard this happen so many times over the years. Another event that many people remember is when he appeared on “Saturday Night Live” and read the book “Green Eggs and Ham” by Dr. Seuss. It’s hard to imagine a politician today, and he just ran for president, and a president today reading such nonsense so seriously, yet so cheerfully. But his delivery, his tone, his tenor, his rhythm was just… amazing. If you go back and watch the recording, you can hear the studio audience rolling around on the floor laughing at the way he presented it.
Dana Taylor:
Trevor, Jesse Jackson marched with Dr. King in the 1960s and was still out supporting protesters decades later in 2021. It was during the trial of Derek Chauvin, who was ultimately convicted of killing George Floyd. Jackson was fearless in publicly affirming his beliefs and striving for civil rights and justice. How much of that is part of Mr. Jackson’s legacy as a public servant, and do you think that’s what he will be most remembered for?
Trevor Hughes:
Ah, I think so. Jesse Jackson has been in people’s lives for decades, and I remember when he came to Minneapolis and spoke to a crowd that was protesting about the death of George Floyd and the trial of Derek Chauvin. And I remember talking to young black men in particular. These are people who have known him all their lives and grew up listening to him and watching him. And for him to lend his strength to their cause was really powerful. And I have to say that one of the young men I interviewed years ago, he was recently arrested with Don Lemon at a church as part of a protest against ICE’s actions. So I think his legacy will really last for many years. Because he exemplified this kind of protest, this kind of civic consciousness, this kind of civic conscience that really spoke to millions of Americans.
Dana Taylor:
Trevor Hughes is a national correspondent for USA TODAY. Thanks so much for joining us on The Excerpt, Trevor.
Trevor Hughes:
of course.
Dana Taylor:
Thanks to Senior Producer Kayleigh Monaghan for her production assistance, Executive Producer will be Laura Beatty. Let us know what you think about this episode by sending a note to podcasts@usatoday.com. Thanks for listening, I’m Dana Taylor. We’ll be back with another episode of USA TODAY’s The Excerpt on Monday morning.
