(WHTM) \u2014 Pennsylvania leaders mourned the loss of the Rev. Jesse Jackson, who died Monday at 84 from a neurological disorder.<\/p>\n
The civil rights leader made numerous visits to the state over the years. During his last visit to Harrisburg in 2024, he received a standing ovation from the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Close<\/a><\/p>\n Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n Watch for us in your inbox.<\/p>\n Subscribe Now<\/p>\n \u201cIt was unbelievable,\u201d said House Speaker Joanna McClinton, the first Black woman to hold the position. \u201cHe\u2019s someone I grew up quoting as a child.\u201d<\/p>\n State Rep. Napoleon Nelson, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, said after meeting with lawmakers, Jackson visited inmates at the Dauphin County Prison.<\/p>\n His message: \u201cBe as inclusive as you can because it\u2019s the right thing to do,\u201d Nelson said. \u201cIt\u2019s be grounded in some level of kind of true moral conviction because that\u2019s what will lead you. That\u2019s what will sustain you.\u201d<\/p>\n That was his last appearance, not his first. Fifty years prior, he delivered words that still resonate today.<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot just concern ourselves with Democrats, but with democracy,\u201d Jackson said. \u201cWe cannot just concern ourselves with Republicans, but with the Republic. The new pluralism has to be a move to reconcile the nation rather than to exploit its divisions.\u201d<\/p>\n Read Jackson\u2019s full speech below:<\/p>\n april 16 1974 journal<\/a>Download<\/a><\/p>\n As a presidential candidate in 1984, Jackson joined protesters in calling for an end to nuclear power at Three Mile Island.<\/p>\n