#1775 Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition and the Remaking of American Politics

Air Date: 3/7/2026

 Welcome to this episode of the Award-Winning Best of the Left Podcast. Today we examine the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson civil rights icon, two-time presidential candidate and one of the most consequential political figures of the 20th century.

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Full Show Notes

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TOP TAKES

KP 1: Remembering Jesse Jackson - Here & Now Anytime - Air Date 2-17-26

KP 2: I Am Somebody - Jesse Jackson -Sesame Street - Air Date 2-17-26

KP 3: Why Jesse Jackson Mattered - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie -Air Date 2-23-26

KP 4: Slap in the Face. Speaker Mike Johnson Declines to Honor Rev. Jesse Jackson - Roland S. Martin - Air Date 2-21-26

KP 5: Ryan Grim: "We've Got People: From Jesse Jackson to AOC..." - The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow - Air Date 4-29-19

KP 6: Was The Rev. Jesse Jackson A Man Before His Time? Part 1 - In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Air Date 10-20-25

KP 7: From the Archives: Jesse Jackson's Speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention - CBS News - Air Date 2-17-26

KP 8: The Historic Presidential Campaigns Of Rev. Jesse Jackson - Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast - Air Date 2-29-24

KP 9: Jesse Jackson Fought for Justice at Home & Abroad: Juan González & Bishop William Barber - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-18-06

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(00:47:43) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Don't hate the game, change the rules

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DEEPER DIVES

(00:58:53) SECTION A: PRESIDENTIAL RUNS

A1: Rev. Jesse Jackson Speaks at 1988 Democratic National Convention During 2nd Presidential Run - CBS Chicago - Air Date 2-17-26

A2: "Keep Hope Alive": Remembering Rev. Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Icon Who Twice Ran for President - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-17-26

A3: Making Jesse Jackson - Making - Air Date 10-26-22

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(01:36:11) SECTION B: RAINBOW COALITION

B1: The Original Rainbow Coalition - Code Switch - Air Date 1-24-23

B2: Is a New Rainbow Coalition of Voters Possible? - Some of My Best Friends Are - Air Date 2-15-23

B3: The Life and Times of a ‘revolutionary Hillbilly’ - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 9-1-21

B4: We Can’t Erase the Radicalism of the Rainbow Coalition - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 3-19-21

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(02:14:46) SECTION C: THE MAN

C1: Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 1975 Message to America - THIRTEEN PBS - Air Date 2-18-26

C2: Bomani Jones Reflects on the Life of Jesse Jackson: The Last Civil Rights Icon - The Right Time with Bomani Jones - Air Date 3-19-26

C3: Jesse Jackson Interview: Marching the Righteous Path with Martin Luther King Jr - Life Stories - Air Date 8-26-24

C4: “I Am – Somebody:” Reflecting on the Life and Legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson - Amanpour and Company - Air Date 2-19-26

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(02:49:46) SECTION D: HIS LEGACY

D1: Was The Rev. Jesse Jackson A Man Before His Time' Part 2 - In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Air Date 10-20-25

D2: Jesse Jackson’s Legacy: From Marching with MLK to Building the Rainbow Coalition - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-17-26

D3: Jesse Jackson: Crash Course Black American History #44 - CrashCourse - Air Date 8-9-22

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SHOW IMAGE CREDITS

Description: Black and white photo of Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1983

Credit:”Jesse Jackson, half-length portrait of Jackson seated at table, July 1, 1983” via Wikimedia Commons | U.S. News & World Report collection at the Library of Congress. No known copyright restrictions.

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

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