Civil Rights Leader Jesse Jackson Dies at 84
Reverend Jesse Jackson, a pivotal leader in the Civil Rights Movement, has died at the age of 84. Jackson, a major figure in Chicago politics and national advocacy, was known for his lifelong work promoting social justice and equality.
- In 1996, Rev. Jackson launched the Wall Street Project to pressure corporations to increase minority hiring, name more minorities to their boards, and award more business to minority-owned firms. The project used research, negotiation, and public awareness to challenge companies to end trade deficits with minority vendors and consumers. - His sons became prominent figures in Chicago's business and political landscapes. In 1998, his sons Yusef and Jonathan Jackson acquired River North Sales and Service, a major Chicago-based Anheuser-Busch distributorship. This followed a boycott of the beer giant led by Rev. Jackson in the early 1980s over minority employment practices. - Yusef Jackson, a lawyer and businessman, ran the distributorship for 15 years, doubling its sales and profits before it was acquired to form the largest Anheuser-Busch distributor in Illinois. He has also been involved in other ventures, including investments in a state vendor assistance program and a bid for the Washington Nationals baseball team. - Jonathan Jackson, who holds an MBA from Northwestern's Kellogg School of Management, had a career in finance and real estate before being elected to represent Illinois's 1st congressional district in 2023. He previously worked as an investment analyst, developed real estate for East Lake Management, and taught finance at Chicago State University. - The national headquarters of Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition is a notable property in Chicago's Kenwood neighborhood, located at 930 E. 50th Street. The historic building was originally built in 1923 as the K.A.M. Isaiah Israel Temple, the oldest Jewish congregation in Chicago, and was purchased by Jackson's organization in 1971.
