Democratic leaders from across Alabama mourned the passing of Civil Rights Movement leader and politician Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. on Tuesday.
Both of Alabama’s Democratic federal representatives memorialized Jackson and expressed their condolences to his family on Tuesday morning, after his death was announced.
U.S. Representative Shomari Figures, D-Alabama, whose father, Michael Figures, served as the Alabama state chair of Jackson’s presidential campaigns during the 1980s, highlighted Jackson’s significance to Alabama, alongside his legacy as an activist, in a Tuesday post on X.
“My introduction to Jesse Jackson, Sr. was not as the Civil Rights champion and icon, but as a friend of my father,” Figures wrote. “For decades after my father died, Mr. Jackson would always greet me with, ‘How’s Vivian?’ [my mother] before proceeding to tell me stories about my dad.”
“As a child, I didn’t fully understand the proximity to history I had in being connected to Mr. Jackson, but as I grew older, I appreciated it more and more,” Figures continued. “This was a man who marched and led alongside Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., John Lewis, Fred Shuttlesworth, and countless other civil rights foot soldiers. This was a man who fought tirelessly to keep hope—and the dream of equality—alive.”
The representative went on to reflect on Jackson’s storied career as a politician and advocate, paving the way for future leaders such as Figures, alongside Jackson’s son, U.S. Representative Jonathan Jackson, D-Illinois.
“Jesse Jackson always showed up. Whether in Mobile, AL to protest with my father after the murder of Michael Donald, or in Iran to free American hostages when the U.S. government couldn’t do it, or in Selma every year to commemorate Bloody Sunday. Jesse Jackson advocated for America to be its best self,” Figures wrote.
“There’s a part of me that wonders if Mr. Jackson and my father ever thought in their wildest dreams that over 40 years after they met, they would have children serving together in the U.S. Congress. But I know that answer would be yes, because that’s exactly the type of future they fought for,” the representative continued.
U.S. Representative Terri Sewell, D-Alabama, also emphasized Jackson’s importance to Alabama’s civil rights history and lasting commitment to voting rights.
“My heart breaks for the passing of Civil Rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr.,” Sewell said in a written statement. “Whether fighting for voting rights, economic opportunity, or the dignity of every person, Rev. Jackson’s commitment to justice helped sustain the momentum of The Movement.”
“His moral leadership challenged our nation to live up to its highest ideals, and his courage reminded us that change requires both persistence and compassion,” the representative stated.
“Rev. Jackson taught us to ‘keep hope alive’ – to keep pushing, keep organizing, and keep believing that justice is within reach if we remain steadfast,” Sewell added. “He understood that voting rights are the lifeblood of our democracy, and he never shied away from calling out injustice wherever it lived. His work helped expand opportunity for millions, and his legacy will continue to shape our nation for generations to come.”
In remarks made before the Alabama Senate, state Senator Vivian Figures, D-Mobile, gave condolences to Jackson’s family and spoke on Jackson’s importance to her family and American history as a whole.
“It is with profound sadness that I stand here to acknowledge the passing of Reverend Jesse Lewis Jackson Sr.,” Senator Vivian Figures said. “It is a little ironic that God chose to take him in the middle of Black History Month, for he is such a historical figure who has contributed so much to African American and American history.”
Senator Vivian Figures recounted her and her late husband meeting Jackson in 1981, at a protest organized in response to the lynching of 19-year-old Michael Donald, as well as the civil rights legend’s role in inspiring her and her husband’s subsequent political involvements.
The senator described Jackson’s presidential campaigns and activism as paving the way for a surge in Black political leadership and political engagement.
“Reverend Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns significantly increased Black voter registration, participation and political leverage, acting as a catalyst for a surge in Black elected officials and propelling the Democratic Party to be more inclusive,” the senator said. “His campaigns helped solidify the Black electorate’s support for the Democratic Party, and paved the way for increased competitiveness in local, statewide and national offices.”
“Reverend Jesse Jackson Sr. was somebody. He conceived and so believed that the United States of America would elect an African American president in our time,” Senator Vivian Figures added. “And I must say that he, with his wife Jackie by his side, achieved it by paving the way for Barack Obama and Michelle Obama to become our first African American president and first lady.”
The Senate stood for a moment of silence in honor of Jackson and his family, following the senator’s remarks.
Representative Patrick Sellers, D-Birmingham, similarly led the Alabama House in a moment of silence to reflect on Jackson’s legacy. “He was a civil rights icon, a preacher, a true warrior, true leader,” Sellers said.
Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin and Montgomery Mayor Steven L. Reed took to social media to reflect on Jackson’s leadership. “Strong leadership looks like the Rev. Jesse Jackson,” wrote Woodfin. “Compassionate. Courageous. Unifying. Empowering.”
“He didn’t just speak about justice, he organized for it. He didn’t just imagine coalitions, he built them. And most importantly, he taught us that we ARE somebody,” Woodfin added.
“Today, my heart is heavy as I reflect on the passing of Jesse Jackson. This is more than the loss of a public figure, it is the loss of a giant whose footsteps shaped the path so many of us now walk,” Reed wrote.
“As a child, I had a front row seat watching you run for President of the United States. I didn’t yet understand policy or politics, but I understood what it meant to see boldness, faith, and conviction on display. I understood what it felt like to witness possibility,” he added.
Jackson’s legacy was further memorialized in statements from additional Democratic leaders throughout the state, including state Representative Jaundalynn Givan, D-Birmingham, gubernatorial candidates Doug Jones, Will Boyd and JaMel Jermaine Brown, alongside Democratic U.S. House of Representatives candidates Andrew Sneed and Jeremy Devito.
