By: Okoi Obono-Obla Today marks the end of an era for a people who, for centuries, have carried the collective memory of strugg...
By: Okoi Obono-Obla
Today marks the end of an era for a people who, for centuries, have carried the collective memory of struggle, resilience, and hope. From the shores of Mother Africa, millions were forcefully enslaved, imprisoned, and trafficked across the Atlantic more than four hundred years ago. Torn from their homeland, they were thrust into the wilderness of North America and the lush forests of South America, compelled to cultivate and build under conditions so dehumanizing and horrific that they remain unparalleled in human history.
With the passing of the renowned civil rights leader and clergyman, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., a profound chapter closes. Following the brutal assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. some 56 years ago, Rev. Jackson became the living bridge between past and present. He carried forward the torch of the Civil Rights Movement, ensuring that the epic struggle of people of African descent in the United States continued to demand recognition, dignity, and the basic rights of humanity.
He was the champion of the powerless, the voiceless, the marginalized, the downtrodden, the poor, and those pushed to the fringes of American society. He stood for those who were considered “less” because of the color of their skin, yet who shared with all humanity the pangs of hunger, homelessness, grinding poverty, lack of opportunity, and the sting of discrimination rooted in inequality. Rev. Jackson’s voice was not only a continuation of Dr. King’s dream but also a steadfast reminder that freedom is never given—it is fought for, nurtured, and defended. His life embodied the unbroken spirit of a people determined to be acknowledged as full participants in the human family.
He was a resolute character with an indomitable spirit and unwavering courage. Despite the disadvantages that engulfed and surrounded him, he never gave up the fight. He trudged forward with dignity and confidence, confronting obstacles with determination. Twice, in the 1980s, he made spirited bids for the presidential nomination of the Democratic National Convention—testimonies to the phoenix he was, rising time and again to inspire hope and possibility.
To me, his passing signifies the severing of the last umbilical cord to that historic struggle. It is indeed the end of an era. Yet his legacy—of courage, resilience, and unyielding commitment to justice—ensures that the fight for equality and freedom will never truly end.
@ Okoi Obono-Obla
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