Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Day

The Council adopted a resolution declaring February 17 as Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. Day in the City of Boston.

Offered by Councilors Culpepper and Worrell, the measure honors Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr. for his decades of leadership advancing civil rights, political empowerment, and social justice. Mentored by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Jackson played a key role in advancing nonviolent social change and later founded the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, championing economic empowerment, voting rights, and educational access.

The resolution also recognizes Reverend Jackson’s connection to Boston, including his support for school integration efforts during the City’s school desegregation crisis in the 1970s following the federal ruling in Morgan v. Hennigan. It notes his advocacy for policies addressing racial and economic disparities that directly impacted Boston’s communities of color and helped elevate local struggles for educational opportunity and civil rights.

The Council further highlighted the establishment of a Rainbow/PUSH Coalition presence in Boston, reflecting Reverend Jackson’s commitment to grassroots organizing, voter mobilization, corporate accountability, and workforce equity in cities confronting systemic inequality.