Rev. Jesse Jackson, who passed away last week, was a larger-than-life figure who made enormous and consequential contributions to American life. He registered millions of voters, enabling a substantial increase in the number of Black elected officials across the country. And his pressing major corporations to increase economic opportunities for Black Americans significantly increased the Black middle class. Part of the younger generation of Black leaders who had developed a global consciousness, his agenda moved beyond civil rights to make support for social justice and liberation movements part of mainstream American politics. Because of this, he was the first American political leader to recognise and incorporate into his movement my community of Arab Americans and our domestic and foreign policy concerns.

I first began working with Rev. Jesse Jackson in the late 1970s as he was preparing to visit Palestine/Israel to see for himself the situation in the occupied lands. The injustices he witnessed left an indelible impression, leaving him committed to Palestinian rights and Middle East peace.

In 1979, when US Ambassador to the United Nations Andrew Young was removed from his post for speaking with the Palestine Liberation Organization’s UN representative, Reverend Jackson was outraged. He resolved to visit Beirut to meet directly with PLO chief Yasser Arafat and demonstrate that “a no talk policy is no policy at all.” Before leaving, he asked to address my PHRC convention, taking place at that time. His presence and remarks were electrifying.

In 1983, Rev. Jackson asked me to join his presidential campaign. When I expressed concerns about leaving my work organising Arab Americans, he replied, “You’ll do more for your community in the next four months than you’ve done in the last four years.” He was right.

Arab Americans had never before been welcomed in American politics as an ethnic constituency because of our support for Palestinian human rights. Candidates had rejected our contributions and endorsements. No campaign had ever included an Arab American committee. No candidate had raised the issues about which our community cared deeply.

Rev. Jackson changed all that, and Arab Americans’ response was overwhelming.

Because Rev. Jackson made it possible to speak about Palestine, we built coalitions around the issue during the 1988 presidential campaign. We elected a record number of delegates across the country and built coalitions with Black, Latino, progressive Jewish delegates and others. We passed resolutions supporting Palestinian rights in 10 state Democratic conventions. At the national convention, we had earned enough delegates to call for a minority plank on Palestinian rights.

There had never been a discussion about Palestine at a Democratic convention. The campaign of presumptive winner Michael Dukakis was adamant that it not be raised. In fact, Madeleine Albright, representing Dukakis, said if the “P word” was mentioned at the convention, “all hell would break loose.” Rev. Jackson asked me to present our plank from the convention podium, and I did, preceded by a floor demonstration of 1,000 delegates waving signs and Palestinian flags for Israeli–Palestinian peace and a two-state solution. It was the first (and last) time the issue was raised at a party convention.

In 1994, after the Oslo Accords signing, Rev. Jackson was invited to speak at an international peace conference the Palestinians were convening in Jerusalem. Once there, the Israelis said we could not meet in Jerusalem nor hold a political meeting with Palestinians. Rev. Jackson was determined to get to Orient House, the Palestinians’ Jerusalem headquarters. The Israeli military surrounded our hotel, telling us we could not leave. True to form, Rev. Jackson announced we would march anyway. As the soldiers saw him leading this peaceful march up to their blockade, they parted and allowed him through, with many gathering around, wanting to shake his hand or have their pictures taken with him. The Israeli commanders furiously barked orders, but their soldiers ignored them. We marched to Orient House and had our meeting.

In all the years I worked with Rev. Jackson, I witnessed his commitment to justice, courage in the face of challenges, and his recognition that his personal power could make a difference on the world stage. He freed prisoners. He opened doors to negotiations. He gave hope to the hopeless and voice to the voiceless. He also challenged the Democratic Party to be principled and consistent in its commitment to human rights and justice. He will be missed, but his legacy lives on in the progressive movement for domestic and foreign policy change that he helped shape.

Dr. James J. ZogbyThe writer is the President of Arab American Institute.

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