'A movement unto himself': Local leaders react to death of civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson
NEW YORK CITY (WABC) -- New York City leaders and other prominent local figures are sharing their reactions to the death of civil rights icon Rev. Jesse Jackson.
The celebrated Baptist minister and pioneering politician died on Tuesday morning at the age of 84, his family said in a statement.
RELATED | The life and legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson
Rev. Al Sharpton called Jackson "a movement unto himself." The two shared a friendship for more than 50 years and worked side by side in the fight for freedom.
Sharpton refers to himself as Jackson's protege and continued to build on Jackson's legacy through his own work at the National Action Network.
"I think that Jesse Jackson was a bridge that was not given credit for, he was the youngest person on Dr. King's staff so he was attractive to people like me that was a generation behind him," Sharpton said during a press conference Tuesday.
Sharpton remembered the 1995 March to Albany against social service cuts by then-Gov. George Pataki.
"I decided we were going to do a 10-day walk from New York to Albany," Sharpton said. "And we started at the King Baptist Church, where Whitey Walker was passing in Dr. King's Day, and we'd walk a mile and a half a day. Reverend Jackson flew in and said, I'm going to start to march with you all and finish with you all."
Tributes for Jackson poured in from both national and local leaders following the news of his death.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani wrote on social media: "Today we mourn the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson, a giant of the civil rights movement who never stopped demanding that America live up to its promise. He marched, he ran, he organized and he preached justice without apology. May we honor him not just in words, but in struggle."
"Rev. Jackson reminded us that leadership is about lifting others, that faith must move us to action, and that no community is too small to matter. New York City stands on the shoulders of giants like him. His faith shaped his leadership, and his leadership shaped a generation. May God bless his memory," former Mayor Eric Adams shared.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul wrote: "Reverend Jesse Jackson's life was defined by courage and conviction. From Selma to the national stage, he stood tall against injustice. We honor his legacy and the generations he inspired."
Said U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries: "The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson Sr. was a legendary voice for the voiceless, powerful civil rights champion and trailblazer extraordinaire. For decades, while laboring in the vineyards of the community, he inspired us to keep hope alive in the struggle for liberty and justice for all,"
New Jersey Gov. Mike Sherrill called on people to "honor his life of service by carrying forward the hope, unity and justice he believed in."
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