February 25, 2026
Pictured is the late Civil Rights Leader, Reverend Jesse L. Jackson and supporters as they gathered during PUSH's Saturday morning forum to welcome South Africa President Nelson Mandela to Chicago. Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999. Photo by Lisa Ely.
Stories this photo appears in:
From Breadbasket to the Rainbow
The Economic Justice Journey of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson
Before the presidential campaigns. Before the Rainbow Coalition. Before the global diplomacy and Presidential Medal of Freedom — there was a basement in Chicago, a handful of ministers, and a bold idea: economic power could be organized. Rev. Jesse L. Jackson’s national profile would eventually span continents, but his economic justice framework began in the crucible of the Civil Rights Movement — under the mentorship of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC).