NOW Mourns the Passing of Reverend Jesse Jackson

Statement of National NOW President Kim Villanueva

WASHINGTON-Rev. Jesse Jackson embraced the intersectionality of civil rights across gender and race.

He always stood with women who, as he so often said, 'take the early bus' to jobs where they are underpaid, undervalued, and too often subjected to discrimination or sexual harassment. He was a lifelong advocate for equal pay and economic justice for women, and he worked to increase political participation for women, especially women of color.

His founding of the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition in Chicago showed the country what it means when everybody is somebody, and the working class has a powerful voice. Rev. Jackson talked about a multiracial, multiethnic democracy when no one else would. When he sought the presidency in 1984, he said he wanted to 'restore a moral tone, a redemptive spirit, and a sensitivity to the poor and the dispossessed of this nation.'

Rev. Jackson's message and mission are especially relevant today, when we're seeing a resurgence in the racism, sexism, and discrimination he worked so tirelessly to abolish.

NOW mourns the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson, a transformational leader whose indomitable spirit and unshakable moral voice continues to inspire us. Generations to come will stand on Rev. Jackson's strong shoulders.

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