Reverend Jackson was a great friend of Nigeria, Africa – Tinubu mourns

Jackson

By CHIKA CHIMEZIE

I join the rest of the world and the people of the United States of America to mourn the passing of civil rights icon and renowned Baptist preacher, Reverend Jesse Jackson, who passed away this morning at the age of 84.

Reverend Jackson was a servant-leader who captured the global imagination as a young activist, alongside civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr., fighting for the dignity of black people, the oppressed, and the voiceless in the United States and across the world.

Although he built a career working as a preacher and active political organiser, Reverend Jackson became a national and global icon, demanding improved social and economic conditions for African-Americans.

Along with other compatriots, Reverend Jackson carried on the unfinished business of Martin Luther King Jnr in the noble fight for racial justice in the United States.

As a student in the United States in the 1970s, I lived in Chicago, the same city where Reverend Jackson fought the most important battles against injustice and all forms of discrimination. I witnessed firsthand how, as a faithful servant of God and humanity, he pointed the arc of American society to the great promise of the American dream.

As a community organiser and activist, Rev. Jackson was an influential figure in American politics and global affairs. If Barack Obama became the first Black American president, it was because Reverend Jackson and his fellow activists did not relent in their march for justice, reminding America of its values and creed.