Jesse Jackson - Civil Rights Activist and Minister

Jesse Jackson - Civil Rights Activist and Minister is the biography of Jesse Jackson, an American civil rights activist and Baptist minister. Jackson was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1984 and 1988 and served as "shadow senator" for the District of Columbia from 1991 to 1997. He was the founder of both entities that merged to form Rainbow/PUSH. In 1965, he participated in the Selma to Montgomery marches organized by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other civil rights leaders in Alabama. Jackson was with King in Memphis, Tennessee when King was assassinated on April 4, 1968, the day after King's famous "I've been to the mountaintop" speech at the Mason Temple. During the 1980s, he achieved wide fame as an African American leader and as a politician, as well as becoming a well-known spokesman for civil rights issues. His influence extended to international matters in the 1980s and 1990s. While Jackson was initially critical of the "Third Way" or more moderate policies of Bill Clinton, he became a key ally in gaining African American support for Clinton and eventually became a close advisor and friend of the Clinton family. Clinton awarded Jackson the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest honor bestowed on civilians. Jesse Jackson - Civil Rights Activist and Minister is highly recommended for those interested in reading more about this admired civil rights leader.