Keep Hope Alive: Remembering Jesse Jackson’s Presidential Run and Its Impact
Introduction
In the late 1980s, the political landscape in America was shifting. For African Americans, the possibility of seeing one of our own run for the highest office in the land was both exhilarating and historic. This memoir recounts a night in Atlanta when Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign brought hope, unity, and a sense of possibility to my life and the lives of so many others.
Early Winter in Atlanta
It was early winter in Atlanta, GA. I was heading to Kroger to pick up some groceries for our debate-watching party that night. There had been a migration of African Americans from the South to the North for years, and now it seemed to be reversing. African Americans were moving back to the South. As a result, many suburban areas consisted of African American families and professionals living comfortable middle and upper-middle-class lifestyles.
I grew up in one of those suburbs in Columbus, Georgia. Now I live in a similar suburban area outside of Atlanta. Everywhere I looked, I could see African American professionals buying new houses, starting businesses, and running for elected offices. I felt so empowered living in Atlanta. I thought to myself, “Jesse Jackson is running for president (his second run for president, after 1984). Maybe one day we would have a black president.”
The Debate-Watching Party
The year was 1988. I had finished college and was in my first year of graduate school. I was also dating someone I thought might be the one. He was intelligent, well-spoken, very well-dressed, and attractive. He reminded me of my father, who passed away while I was still in college. Like my father, he was introverted and thoughtful. On the other hand, I was extroverted and outspoken. But there was one subject that we were both outspoken and passionate about: the black man running for President, Jesse Jackson.
He had taken the afternoon off and was on his way to my house to get my living room set up for the debate-watching party. There was so much excitement in the air, and I couldn’t wait to hear Jesse Jackson speak. He made me feel like I finally had a voice. There was so much going on in the country. So much division. But things were different when I heard him speak.
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The Rainbow Coalition and “Keep Hope Alive”
Jesse Jackson had a slogan, “Keep Hope Alive!” He also had created a coalition of people that resembled all races, cultures, and backgrounds in America. He called it the “Rainbow Coalition.” It was good to see so many types of people represented. “This was history in the making,” I thought.
As I slipped my all-weather coat and boots on, I smiled to myself. I thought of how much progress my ancestors, former slaves, had made in this country. I thought about how many obstacles they had overcome, how much injustice they had endured, and how they had worked for free as slaves, but now had their businesses. I was so proud of them. I thought to myself, “How would they feel if they were here today?” They had fought and died for my freedom and for my right to vote. I was so excited to continue their legacy and vote for an African American man for President!
Reflections on Progress and Legacy
Jesse Jackson would eventually withdraw from the nomination for the Democratic Party for President of the United States, only after he received nearly 7 million votes in the Democratic Presidential primary against Michael Dukakis. As a result, Jesse Jackson laid the groundwork for another African American man, Barack Obama, to not only win the nomination for the Democratic Party for President but also to serve two terms as President of the United States.
We are living in the time my ancestors dreamed of, but the struggle continues.
What moments have inspired hope in your own journey?
Share your thoughts in the comments below.
About the Author
Phyllis Smith is a creative nonfiction writer and memoirist based in Massachusetts. Her work draws on her experience growing up in the Southern United States. She holds an MBA, a Bachelor’s in Psychology, and a Certificate in Creative Writing from UCLA Extension. Phyllis is currently working on her memoir, A Legacy of Hope, has attended the Voices of Our Nations Arts Foundation (VONA) workshop, and is a member of Boston Writers of Color, The Authors Guild, and Pen America. You can follow her at https://www.facebook.com/phyllismsmithwriter.
