advocacy

The death of the Reverend Jesse Jackson on Tuesday at the age of 84 at his home in Chicago has obviously garnered headlines as he’s being remembered as a “Charismatic Champion of Civil Rights.”

He was actually born Jesse Louis Burns to a 16-year-old Greenville, South Carolina high school student known for her singing abilities. His biological father, Noah Louis Robinson, was twice as old as his mother and married to another woman at the time of his birth. 

Those circumstances were long a point of embarrassment for Reverend Jackson. His mother eventually married, but having been rejected by his birthfather and being distant with his stepfather took its toll. It’s been suggested he may have compensated by being socially aggressive. A high school English teacher characterized him as a “uncommonly nervy little fellow, never abashed at all.” 

After graduating from college, Jesse became active in the Civil Rights movement, volunteered to work with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and eventually enrolled in Chicago Theological Seminary. He was later ordained. The Reverend Jackson was with Dr. King when he was assassinated in 1968. 

However liberal or progressive his theological training, it wasn’t all that surprising at the time that Jesse Jackson opposed the legalization of abortion in 1973. Speaking to “Jet” magazine, the minister declared:

“Abortion is genocide. Anything growing is living … If you got the thrill to set the baby in motion and you don’t have the will to protect it, you’re dishonest…” 

Four years later, Reverend Jackson likened abortion to the evils of slavery. Referencing the dehumanization of the preborn, he said, “The name has changed, but the game remains the same.” He then added, “It takes three to make a baby: a man, a woman, and the Holy Spirit.” 

But then came electoral politics and his decision to run for president in 1984 and again in 1988. As a candidate in 1984, he claimed he supported freedom of choice yet was somehow “not pro-abortion.”

In 1988, he declared, “It is not right to impose private, religious and moral positions on public policy.”

Yet, back in 2005, Reverend Jackson joined pro-life advocates in opposing the court-forced starvation of Terri Schiavo – a critically-ill Florida woman who was on life support for 15 years. 

After the death of Jackson was announced, Bobby Schindler, Terri’s brother, recalled how the civil rights leader had advocated for his sister:

During the final days of my sister Terri Schiavo in March 2005, Rev. Jackson joined our family at the hospice facility in Pinellas Park, Florida, to offer his prayers and support. At a time of deep sorrow and intense national attention, his presence brought encouragement and reminded us — and the country — that Terri’s life had inherent dignity and worth.

He also reached out to Jeb Bush, who was the Governor of Florida at the time, urging him to intervene and stop what was happening to Terri. Rev. Jackson stood publicly with our family during Terri’s unjust and inhumane death.

We remain grateful for his compassion, courage, and willingness to stand with us during those painful two weeks. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family and to all who mourn his passing.

Jesse Jackson was right to oppose abortion in the 1970s, of course – and it was welcomed when he came to the Mrs. Schiavo’s side in 2005. What happened in between is a tragic testimony to a lost opportunity, seemingly motivated by a raw political calculus. Innocent children are not well-served by politicians more concerned with trying to win an election than with their welfare.

Perhaps the Reverend Jackson’s story can stand as a reminder that it’s never right to support what is wrong and that forfeiting one’s moral platform carries significant consequences.