{"id":159217,"date":"2026-02-18T02:07:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-18T02:07:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/159217\/"},"modified":"2026-02-18T02:07:06","modified_gmt":"2026-02-18T02:07:06","slug":"civil-rights-leader-jesse-jackson-remembered-in-the-big-bend-after-his-passing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/159217\/","title":{"rendered":"Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson remembered in the Big Bend after his passing"},"content":{"rendered":"

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson died Tuesday morning at the age of 84<\/a>, leaving behind a legacy of activism and leadership that reached communities across the country, including in the Big Bend.<\/p>\n

Jackson maintained close ties to local civil rights leaders throughout his life. Derek Steele, son of the late Reverend C.K. Steele, said his father and Jackson were good friends, working alongside each other during the civil rights movement. <\/p>\n

\u201cI liked seeing him with my dad,\u201d Steele said. \u201cIt was pride in having that closeness to be able to get to him like that, and for my dad to be a friend of his, it was just exciting. It was exciting being around him.\u201d <\/p>\n

Steele recalled Jackson attending one of his father\u2019s birthday celebrations in the 1970s as a guest speaker. He described Jackson as a great leader with a strong sense of humor, and said he feels fortunate to have memories of him from his childhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think Jesse has left an enormous impact on the people who were really able to hear him – to see the work he was doing,\u201d Steele said. \u201cI think they need to remember the message of justice and equality, the message of love and nonviolence, the message of unity and continue to work. If you put all those things together, you will get a powerful result.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was killed when Steele was a child. He said that\u2019s when he realized the severity of the civil rights fight, with his father and Jackson heavily involved.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll these people who were very involved were involved in something very serious, that it was a matter of life and death,\u201d he said. \u201cThat was very sobering.\u201d <\/p>\n

Stories of Jackson\u2019s impact stretch beyond the Steele family. <\/p>\n

Sandra Collins said she met Jackson when he came to Tallahassee in response to the FAMU bombing<\/a>, as she was also fighting for justice. <\/p>\n

\u201cHe [Jackson] said \u2018You\u2019re going to have people come up against you, but you\u2019ve got to stand on your cause,\u2019\u201d Collins said. \u201cAt that moment, sitting next to Jesse Jackson, one of our civil rights icons, to give me those empowerment words, it was very important to me.\u201d <\/p>\n

Collins said after meeting Jackson, it opened doors for her to meet other civil rights activists, like Coretta Scott King. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo when I heard this morning that he had passed away, it really touched me,\u201d she said. \u201cBut, I remember to keep the dream and keep hope alive. I think that\u2019s how we can remember him is to keep hope alive.\u201d <\/p>\n

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