Jesse Jackson walked, so Barack Obama could run

 Jackson once explained the purpose behind his activism with characteristic clarity, saying, “We have to build a movement that lifts people up, that gives them dignity and the power to shape their own destiny.” This emphasis on dignity became central to his political philosophy. He did not view civil rights solely as a legal struggle but as a transformation of self-worth, and he understood that this transformation required constant public affirmation. Jackson once explained the purpose behind his activism with characteristic clarity, saying, “We have to build a movement that lifts people up, that gives them dignity and the power to shape their own destiny.” This emphasis on dignity became central to his political philosophy. He did not view civil rights solely as a legal struggle but as a transformation of self-worth, and he understood that this transformation required constant public affirmation.