Goodnight, Jesse

Reverend Jackson,

You’re left to join the ancestors.

You are with Dr. King, John Lewis, Ralph Abernathy, Hosea Williams, and C.T. Vivian.

Andrew Young is the last one left.

The last of Dr. King’s inner circle.

The last of the SCLC’s Knights of the Round Table.

You were a crusader for justice.

An agitator for equal rights.

You organized and marched for equal participation in society.

You always stood out among your peers.

You were brash and outspoken.

Rash and impetuous.

You didn’t follow orders.

You had a vision, as visionaries do.

You followed your own path, as trailblazers do.

From the SCLC to PUSH to the Rainbow Coalition, you advocated for civil rights and equal participation.

You led boycotts and voter registration drives.

You were a political agitator.

You became an international statesman. You successfully negotiated the release of political prisoners.

You ran for president, becoming the first Black candidate to be taken seriously.

Like your mentor Dr. King, you were a gifted orator, an effective communicator.

You knew how to inspire people of all ages, but especially young people.

You were a hero to many.

An advocate for justice when it wasn’t safe or popular to march and protest.

Now take your rest.

You have fought the good fight.

You ran your race.

Your work isn’t finished, but some labor takes more than a lifetime to accomplish.

Rest easy.

Rest well.

Goodnight, Jesse.

Goodnight.