Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 60-year career, we can look beyond his political offices to the leadership
Movement & Organizational Titles These roles defined his day-to-day work from the 1960s through his retirement in 2023. National Director of Operation Breadbasket (1967–1971): Appointed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to lead the economic arm of the SCLC. Founder of Operation PUSH (1971): "People United to Save Humanity" (later "Serve Humanity"), focused on economic self-help and corporate accountability. Executive Director/President of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition: Formed by the 1996 merger of his two primary organizations. Student Body President: At North Carolina A&T State University, where his leadership in the Greensboro sit-ins began. Youth Director (Brooklyn SCLC): Though a mentor role, he famously appointed a teenage Al Sharpton to this position in 1969. The Reverend Jesse Jackson, a towering figure in the American civil rights movement and a two-time presidential candidate, passed away on Tuesday, February 17, 2026 , at the age of 84 . His family...