PEORIA, Ill. – The head of Peoria’s NAACP is reflecting on the life and legacy of the late-civil rights leader Jesse Jackson.
On Tuesday, Jackson’s family released a statement that confirmed his passing at the age of 84.
Peoria NAACP President Marvin Hightower recalled times that Jackson spent in Peoria, with the last coming in 2017. He tells WMBD’s “The Phil Luciano Show” that one of Jackson’s main messages in the River City was encouraging African-Americans to vote.
“He understood the power of the vote, he understood that voting was not a privilege, but it was our responsibility and the power with our vote,” Hightower said.
Hightower recalled the first time he met Jackson, occurring at a church during one of Jackson’s presidential campaigns. He recalls an excitement in the air, but also Jackson inspired him as a young man to vote and to see what was possible.
Hightower says Jackson was a “humble” person, and that meeting him was like meeting “black history.” He says Jackson throughout the years had the same energy for civil rights for all citizens.
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