SC 533

MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2026 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Frazier, Mumford, DuPree, Gillespie Isom,
Thomas, Blackmon, Simmons (13th), Simmons (12th), Turner-Ford, Hickman,
Brumfield, Jackson, Pope, Barnett, Norwood
Senate Concurrent Resolution 533
(As Adopted by Senate)
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION EXTENDING THE SYMPATHY OF THE
LEGISLATURE TO THE FAMILY OF NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS ICON REVEREND JESSE L.
JACKSON, SR., ON HIS PASSING.
���� WHEREAS, the State of
Mississippi mourns the passing of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., a transformative
leader whose life's work is deeply woven into the history of the nation; and
���� WHEREAS, Jesse Jackson was a
towering civil rights icon who battled alongside Martin Luther King, Jr.,
negotiated global hostage releases and shamed corporations for their lack of
corporate diversity and failure to support voting rights.� He was 84; and
���� WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson
was a lifelong soldier for justice.� As a young organizer in the 1960s, he
labored alongside NAACP leaders, spoke at several national conventions, marched
with members, and helped expand the national movement for racial equality into
a broad, people-powered coalition, demanding systemic change.
���� WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson's
passing marks the loss of a towering moral voice, but the movement he helped
build will carry his light forward. His legacy calls each of us to stay
committed, stay organized, and remain faithful to the pursuit of justice; and
���� WHEREAS, President Donald
Trump extended sympathies to the family of the Reverend Jesse Jackson following
his death and called the civil rights leader a "force of nature like few
others before him."� "He was a good man, with lots of personality,
grit, and "street smarts," President Trump wrote.� "He was
gregarious, someone who truly loved people!"� The President listed
policies enacted during his two administrations that he said Jackson supported,
including criminal justice reform, more funding for historically black colleges
and universities, and "Opportunity Zones," which are tax incentives
that aim to spur economic development in low-income areas and were created
through the 2017 tax reform legislation.� Jackson "loved his family
greatly, and to them I send my deepest sympathies and condolences.� Jesse will
be missed"; and
���� WHEREAS, Jackson was a
Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, a two-time Democratic presidential
candidate and a mentor to many civil rights leaders; and
���� WHEREAS, U.S. House
Representative Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, issued a statement Tuesday, February
17, describing Jackson as "a transformative leader whose life and legacy
reshaped the fight for civil rights, social justice and equality in
America."� "Reverand Jackson's footprints are across Mississippi and
the South, working to make life better for countless families," Thompson
wrote. �"From advocating for residents in the Sugar Ditch community in
Tunica, to supporting the historic Mule Train March from Marks to Washington,
D.C., to marching alongside students from Jackson State University to the Hinds
County Courthouse to register to vote, Reverend Jackson helped inspire
meaningful change across our state and nation.� He also played a vital role in
encouraging the election of hundreds of Black elected officials throughout
Mississippi"; and
���� WHEREAS, Jackson Mayor John
Horhn mourned the loss of Jackson, saying he knew Jackson personally and saw
firsthand his belief that everyday people could drive real change, as well as
his constant call to "keep hope alive" during difficult times.�
"Reverend Jesse Jackson was a giant of the American story and a moral
voice for the world.� From the streets of the Civil Rights Movement to the
halls of power, he devoted his life to confronting injustice, expanding
democracy, and calling this nation to live up to its highest ideals,"
Horhn said in the statement.� Horhn said that Jackson helped expand voting
access, break down barriers and bring people together around civil rights
causes.� "On behalf of the City of Jackson, I extend my condolences to his
wife, Jacqueline, their children, the entire Jackson family, and the Rainbow
PUSH Coalition family," Horhn said.� "May we honor Reverend Jackson
by continuing the work to which he gave his life, expanding opportunity,
protecting the right to vote, and bending the arc of history toward
justice"; and
���� WHEREAS, Jesse Jackson was a
civil rights activist, a pioneer for inclusivity and a two-time presidential
candidate.� "More than any of those things, said Senator Hillman Frazier,
Democrat-Jackson, he was a friend."� Senator Frazier met Jackson several
times in Jackson and Washington, D.C.� Jackson had identified Mississippi's
capital city as a "ground zero for the growing Civil Rights Movement,
Frazier said, and made a point of visiting the city often for speeches and
voter engagement"; and
���� WHEREAS, Jackson was a Presidential
Medal of Freedom recipient, a two-time Democratic presidential candidate and a
mentor to many civil rights leaders.
���� WHEREAS, U.S. House Rep.
Bennie Thompson, D-Miss, issued a statement Tuesday, Feb. 17, describing
Jackson as "a transformative leader whose life and legacy reshaped the
fight for civil rights, social justice and equality in America."�
"Rev. Jackson's footprints are across Mississippi and the South, working
to make life better for countless families," Thompson wrote.� "From
advocating for residents in the Sugar Ditch community in Tunica, to supporting
the historic Mule Train March from Marks to Washington, D.C., to marching
alongside students from Jackson State University to the Hinds County Courthouse
to register to vote, Rev. Jackson helped inspire meaningful change across our
state and nation.� He also played a vital role in encouraging the election of
hundreds of Black elected officials throughout Mississippi"; and
���� WHEREAS, Jackson Mayor John
Horhn mourned the loss of Jackson, saying he knew Jackson personally and saw
firsthand his belief that everyday people could drive real change, as well as
his constant call to "keep hope alive" during difficult times.�
"Reverend Jesse Jackson was a giant of the American story and a moral voice
for the world.� From the streets of the Civil Rights Movement to the halls of
power, he devoted his life to confronting injustice, expanding democracy, and
calling this nation to live up to its highest ideals," Horhn said in the
statement.� Horhn said Jackson helped expand voting access, break down barriers
and bring people together around civil rights causes.� "On behalf of the
City of Jackson, I extend my condolences to his wife, Jacqueline, their
children, the entire Jackson family, and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition
family," Horhn said.� "May we honor Reverend Jackson by continuing
the work to which he gave his life, expanding opportunity, protecting the right
to vote, and bending the arc of history toward justice"; and
���� WHEREAS, since the news of
his death, people have been reminiscing about their favorite Jesse Jackson
moments in pop culture.� Among them is his 1991 appearance on Saturday Night
Live.� On the comedy program, Jackson paid tribute to famed author Dr.
Seuss, born Theodor Seuss Geisel, who had recently passed away at the time; and
���� WHEREAS, when he declared,
"I am Somebody," in a poem he often repeated, he sought to reach
people of all colors.� "I may be poor, but I am Somebody; I may be young,
but I am Somebody; I may be on welfare, but I am Somebody," Jackson
intoned; and
���� WHEREAS, Reverend Jackson
made numerous appearances in Mississippi and at the State Capitol.� From his
transformative organizing and tireless advocacy to his leadership on the
national stage, his courage and conviction inspired millions and strengthened
the Civil Rights Movement across this nation; he will be missed:
���� NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT
RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby extend the sympathy of
the Legislature to the family of national civil rights icon Reverend Jesse L.
Jackson, Sr., on his passing.
���� BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That
this resolution be presented to the surviving family of Reverend Jesse L.
Jackson, forwarded to the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum and made available to
the Capitol Press Corps.