Race Hustler or Civil Rights Icon? Jesse Jackson Dead at 84

PJ Media ^ | 17 Feb 2026 | Rick Moran

[Rummyfan]

He was a con artist and a "race pimp." He was an opportunist, a race hustler, and a corporate shakedown expert who enriched himself by using funds earmarked for "the cause" for his own personal gain. He was an admirer of notorious racist and virulent antisemite Louis Farrakhan.

Jesse Jackson, who died on Tuesday at the age of 84, was all of that. He was also one of the greatest orators of the 20th century, a groundbreaking political figure, one of the best political strategists in American history, and a towering figure in local Chicago Democratic politics.

You can't look at Jesse Jackson as a one-dimensional stick figure. Like all humans, especially those who have left their mark on history, he was a mix of the good, the bad, and the ugly. You can't simplify his sins or his enormous contributions to American politics. He was a force whose impact will be felt for generations.

There is no doubting Jesse Jackson's impact on American history. He was the first "serious" black candidate for president in that he energized the base of the Democratic Party in a multi-racial coalition that forced the party to swing hard left. His grassroots coalition, known as "Operation Push," was the most dynamic organization in the U.S. until a scandal brought it down.

He was given the opportunity to speak in prime time in the 1984 and 1988 conventions despite finishing far behind Walter Mondale and Michael Dukakis in the nomination race. Both speeches are considered among the finest convention speeches in American history.

“My constituency is the desperate, the damned, the disinherited, the disrespected and the despised,” Mr. Jackson said at the 1984 Democratic National Convention in San Francisco. “They are restless and seek relief.”

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KEYWORDS: furrysaddened; jessejackson; jessejacksonobit

[Rummyfan]

He was certainly more of the former than he was of the latter.

And in his race hustling he always made sure to enrich himself first.

[PGR88]

He was truly formative - he started the entire genre of white-guilt and race-hustling for shake-downs of corporate money to fill his pocked and expand NGO/Leftist street action

In the next 50 years, the Democrats turned it into an extremely diverse art-form

From Al Sharpton to Somali Learing Centres - Jesse Jackson paved the way.

[Frank Drebin]

Be funny if Jesus greeted him by saying, “Welcome to Hymieland!”. Hate to make assumptions though.

[JimRed]

Booker T. Washington described him over 100 years ago.

There is another class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs — partly because they want sympathy and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs.

Over 100 years later, his words still ring true.

[webheart]

He was a con man and a hustler. He was not a great orator just a smooth talker like Gavin Newsom.

[ansel12]

He was shaking down corporations with a ‘pay my company or I will turn a race boycott against you’ mafia type operation which should have landed him in prison.

I also liked that when the news broke that the ‘minister’ had an illegitimate child from an affair, the media responded with “well, everyone knew that” and of course none of the public knew it.

[Waverunner]

Still his reading of green eggs and ham on Saturday night live is a classic.
link below
https://youtu.be/A1mqg4C0awA

[P8riot]

Can Calypso Louie be far behind?

[Omnivore-Dan]

There is money to be made in the racist promotion business. If you don’t like what whitey says, just cry “racist”, and you’ll make a bundle. Even for phony white folk.

[AppyPappy]

Both. He started well and then discovered there was money in it.

[hanamizu]

“...”Operation Push,” was the most dynamic organization in the U.S....”

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What is this supposed to mean? Because it cannot mean what it says.

[usconservative]

Jesse Jackson was a race baiting poverty pimp who lived off the backs of blacks, taking money from those who could least afford it, thinking he'd somehow make their lives better, while he himself lived in a mansion, in a good neighborhood, lived the high-life, and conned his way into positions of power in Chicago, Washington DC and elsewhere.

Calling it like I see it.

[Carry_Okie]

Jesse Jackson used his connection to MLK to turn race hustling into an industry, with Sharpton as his successor.

[NorthMountain]

Race hustler, poverty pimp, narcissist, leftist, and all-around ne’er-do-well. Pretending that Je$$e Jacka$$’ death is some great loss to humanity is the height of delusion.

May God have mercy on his soul.

[Bonemaker]

Jesse “the extortionist” Hijackson.

[Honorary Serb]

May his Memory be Eternal!

[Uncle Miltie]

“There is nothing more painful to me at this stage in my life than to walk down the street and hear footsteps... then turn around and see somebody white and feel relieved.”

― Jesse Jackson

[NorthMountain]

There is no doubting Jesse Jackson's impact on American history.

There is no doubting Mao Tse-Tung's impact on Chinese history.

There is no doubting Josef Stalin's impact on Russian history.

There is no doubting Adolph Hitler's impact on German history.

There is no doubting Maximilien de Robespierre's impact on French history.

[Secret Agent Man]

Yes.

And he also let it slip. I still remember he knew where the real danger people faced came from. At 3 am on a darkened building stairwell, he said he would be relieved if he saw a white person, but be worried if it was a black person.

Thats all you need to know.