Jesse Jackson was a human rights hero who is the reason why voting rights and LGBTQ+ rights became a part of the American landscape. The assaults on the LGTBQ+ community by the actions of the Trump administration directly contravenes Jackson’s advocacy that goes back more than 40 years.
Jackson advocated same sex marriages and full LGBTQ+ rights in the face of entrenched homophobia in America — and especially from the Black church. His constant refrain was “I am somebody.” That applied specifically to the marginalized and the despised, including Black and Brown people, in America’s brutally racist system and past.
Assault on voting rights tramples Jackson’s legacy
The assault on voting rights has been putative through the history of this country contravening the lie that this country has always stood as a beacon of freedom. The 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1968 federal anti-discrimination housing acts were passed because of the efforts of Jackson. Without those acts, many Black and brown people would not be able to vote and live in many places outside of where they were born.
That includes me — Clifford Jackson — who 52 years ago, moved from the Robert F. Wagner houses in east Harlem, and 16 years later, to Larchmont where I have lived for the last 36 years. Thank you Jesse Jackson for a job well done and rest in peace.
Cliff Jackson lives in Larchmont.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Trump’s policies damage the legacy of Jesse Jackson | Opinion
Reporting by Cliff Jackson, Special to the USA TODAY Network / Rockland/Westchester Journal News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
