Leaders / Innovators

38 Reverend Jesse Jackson Quotes (LEADERSHIP)

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Top 13 Most Famous Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. Quotes (I AM SOMEBODY)

“Leaders must be tough enough to fight, tender enough to cry, human enough to make mistakes, humble enough to admit them, strong enough to absorb the pain, and resilient enough to bounce back and keep on moving.”

Jesse Jackson
Never look down on anybody unless you're helping them up.
Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.
Leadership has a harder job to do than just choose sides. It must bring sides together.
Leadership has a harder job to do than just choose sides. It must bring sides together.
Leadership cannot just go along to get along. Leadership must meet the moral challenge of the day.
Leadership cannot just go along to get along. Leadership must meet the moral challenge of the day.
A man must be willing to die for justice. Death is an inescapable reality and men die daily, but good deeds live forever.
A man must be willing to die for justice. Death is an inescapable reality and men die daily, but good deeds live forever.
If my mind can conceive it, my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it!
If my mind can conceive it, my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it!
Our dreams must be stronger than our memories. We must be pulled by our dreams, rather than pushed by our memories.
Our dreams must be stronger than our memories. We must be pulled by our dreams, rather than pushed by our memories.
Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change.
Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change.
I am not a perfect servant. I am a public servant doing my best against the odds. As I develop and serve, be patient. God is not finished with me yet.
I am not a perfect servant. I am a public servant doing my best against the odds. As I develop and serve, be patient. God is not finished with me yet.
Hold your head high, stick your chest out. It gets dark sometimes, but morning comes. Keep hope alive.
Hold your head high, stick your chest out. It gets dark sometimes, but morning comes. Keep hope alive.
Your children need your presence more than your presents.
Your children need your presence more than your presents.
At the end of the day, we must go forward with hope and not backward by fear and division.
At the end of the day, we must go forward with hope and not backward by fear and division.
When everyone is included, everyone wins.
When everyone is included, everyone wins.

25 Inspirational Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. Quotes (EQUALITY)

When I came here, I put my hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. I didn't put my hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible.
When I came here, I put my hand on the Bible and swore to uphold the Constitution. I didn’t put my hand on the Constitution and swear to uphold the Bible.
Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow - red, yellow, brown, black and white - and we're all precious in God's sight.
Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow – red, yellow, brown, black and white – and we’re all precious in God’s sight.
We must not measure greatness from the mansion down, but from the manger up.
We must not measure greatness from the mansion down, but from the manger up.
It is in struggle and service with our brothers and sisters, individually and collectively, that we find the meaning of life.
It is in struggle and service with our brothers and sisters, individually and collectively, that we find the meaning of life.
If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds.
If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds.
A new leadership. A choice. A chance. Don't cry about what you don't have. Use what you got.
A new leadership. A choice. A chance. Don’t cry about what you don’t have. Use what you got.
When we're unemployed, we're called lazy; when the whites are unemployed, it's called a depression.
When we’re unemployed, we’re called lazy; when the whites are unemployed, it’s called a depression.
Great things happen in small places. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Jesse Jackson was born in Greenville.
Great things happen in small places. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Jesse Jackson was born in Greenville.
You may not be responsible for being down, but you must be responsible for getting up.
You may not be responsible for being down, but you must be responsible for getting up.
America is not a blanket woven from one thread, one color, one cloth.
America is not a blanket woven from one thread, one color, one cloth.
The burden of being black is that you have to be superior just to be equal. But the glory of it is that, once you achieve, you have achieved, indeed.
The burden of being black is that you have to be superior just to be equal. But the glory of it is that, once you achieve, you have achieved, indeed.
America needs young people to be inspired to choose sacrifice over greed.
America needs young people to be inspired to choose sacrifice over greed.
No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to flee and fly high.
No one should negotiate their dreams. Dreams must be free to flee and fly high. 
No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams.
No government, no legislature, has a right to limit your dreams. You should never agree to surrender your dreams.
In many ways, history is marked as 'before' and 'after' Rosa Parks. She sat down in order that we all might stand up, and the walls of segregation came down.
In many ways, history is marked as ‘before’ and ‘after’ Rosa Parks. She sat down in order that we all might stand up, and the walls of segregation came down.
If you try you may fail, if you don't try you're guaranteed to fail.
If you try you may fail, if you don’t try you’re guaranteed to fail.
Success needs no explanation. Failure does not have one that matters.
Success needs no explanation. Failure does not have one that matters.
You can't teach what you don't know. And you can't lead where you don't go.
You can’t teach what you don’t know. And you can’t lead where you don’t go.
You may choose your mate, but you cannot deny someone else the right to choose their mate.
You may choose your mate, but you cannot deny someone else the right to choose their mate.
The only time you should look down at someone, is when you are helping them up.
The only time you should look down at someone, is when you are helping them up.
It's not enough to be quiet. Quietness is the absence of noise. We need peace, the presence of justice and to be - and so people here can coexist and live together.
It’s not enough to be quiet. Quietness is the absence of noise. We need peace, the presence of justice and to be – and so people here can coexist and live together.
When the doors of opportunity swing open, we must make sure that we are not too drunk or too indifferent to walk through.
When the doors of opportunity swing open, we must make sure that we are not too drunk or too indifferent to walk through.
If you don't know what tomorrow holds, you need to know who holds tomorrow!
If you don’t know what tomorrow holds, you need to know who holds tomorrow!
We must all learn a good lesson - how to live together.
We must all learn a good lesson – how to live together.
It is time for us to turn to each other, not on each other.
It is time for us to turn to each other, not on each other.

Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. Short Biography

Born on 8 October 1941 in Greenville, South Carolina, United States, Jesse Louis Jackson Sr. is a Baptist minister, a civil rights activist and leader, and a politician.

Jackson is a graduate of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, he received his degree in sociology in 1964. He completed his graduate work in Chicago Theological Seminary and became an ordained minister in 1968.

During his time as an undergraduate student, Jackson was involved in the civil rights movement. He marched with Martin Luther King in 1965, and later found work in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

In 1971, Jackson resigned from his position in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In the same year, he founded Operation PUSH where he advocated for Black self-help.

Jackson also founded the National Rainbow Coalition in 1984, a group that advocated for equal rights for African-Americans, women, and homosexuals. Jackson merged the two groups in 1996 under the name Rainbow/PUSH Coalition.

Jackson ran for the Presidential nomination in 1984 and ran again four years later. Despite his loss, his influence in the Democratic party proved the importance of African-American issues to the party’s platform.

Jesse Jackson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in August 2000. 

Further Reading:

Here are the best Jesse Jackson quotes so you can rise up against all odds, never give up on yourself, and never surrender hope

(MUST READ)

Also read:

Reverend Jesse Jackson Quotes (LEADERSHIP) - Gracious Quotes