By Carl Kline | For The Brookings Register
“America is not like a blanket — one piece of unbroken cloth, the same color, the same texture, the same size. America is more like a quilt: many patches, many pieces, many colors, many sizes, all woven and held together by a common thread. The white, the Hispanic, the black, the Arab, the Jew, the woman, the native American, the small farmer, the businessperson, the environmentalist, the peace activist, the young, the old, the lesbian, the gay, and the disabled make up the American quilt.”
These are the words of a Baptist minister and political activist who we know by the name of Jesse Jackson. Jackson was a formidable preacher. But unlike so many others, he did most of his sermonizing in the public square; not with words, but with actions. He died last week at the age of 84. He will be missed by many of us who hold his legacy in high regard, and like yours truly, who believe the Gospel most comes alive, not just with words but with deeds.
I met Jackson when he was running for president. I’m not clear how it happened, but I was his campaign chairperson in the state of South Dakota. My guess is, that those in charge of the Democratic Party in our state at that time were frightened by his candidacy. They likely figured that a black candidate had little to no chance of winning in South Dakota, and therefore determined to downplay his candidacy. When I approached his campaign and volunteered, they accepted and I discovered a new kind of political responsibility.
His campaign had already arranged one speaking engagement in our state, on the Pine Ridge Reservation. I arranged two more, in Brookings at SDSU, and one in Rapid City. I had hoped to have one more in Sioux Falls, but the national office had other plans for him, so that venue had to be cancelled. Given that he spoke to standing room only enthusiastic crowds, in both Brookings and Rapid City locations, I seriously believed he had a chance of winning the primary in South Dakota. If only he had been able to speak in Sioux Falls, I’m guessing the South Dakota party leadership might have been frantic. Who could imagine people in this state voting for a black man?
Many did vote for him in the primary. He received a surprising number of votes in this state as well as across the country.
On his death, former President Obama said: “From organizing boycotts and sit-ins, to registering millions of voters, to advocating for freedom and democracy around the world, he was relentless in his belief that we are all children of God, deserving of dignity and respect. Reverend Jackson also created opportunities for generations of African Americans and inspired countless more, including us. Michelle got her first glimpse of political organizing at the Jacksons’ kitchen table when she was a teenager. And in his two historic runs for president, he laid the foundation for my own campaign to the highest office of the land.”
Jackson has been lying in state at his Push headquarters in Chicago. A request was made for him to lie in state at the U.S. Capitol like was done for Rev. Billy Graham, but that request was denied by Speaker Mike Johnson. In the same way, the flag at the White House was lowered to half mast at the death of Charlie Kirk, the conservative activist of Turning Point USA, but remained aloft at the death of Jackson. You would think politics could be forgotten at death’s door. But sometimes death only seems to exacerbate and strengthen the political divide.
When Rev. Jackson came to Brookings, he was just coming from his experience at Pine Ridge. It was obvious that experience had impacted him in a significant way. He was moved by the depth of the poverty and yet the spirit of the people. I recall him saying, “the soul of America will never be at rest till we redeem that sorry history.”
I expect the same could be said today. Not just in terms of Native America but for all of that Jackson quilt. Racism, sexism, and all the other “isms” keep us a divided nation. Too many prefer the blanket to the quilt. We find it difficult to acknowledge the “other’ as sacred as our self, a “soul” playing a part in the larger soul of the nation.
Perhaps more than ever we need to hear his words, repeated over the years of his lifetime. “Keep hope alive! I am somebody! Keep hope alive!”
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