“Keep hope alive. And that hope, it only stays alive through us,” Channing Hill said.
FORT WORTH, Texas — The reason Chris Howell, Sr. is deeply committed to community service traces back to the late Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr., a civil rights leader whose influence continues to shape lives across North Texas.
“He really does inspire me,” Howell said.
Howell said news of Jackson’s death immediately took him back to a recent campus visit, when he first had the opportunity to meet Jackson.
“I immediately, I guess, reflected back to the time that I had the opportunity to meet him over at Baldwin College,” Howell said.
That moment eventually led to Howell sitting at the same table with Jackson, an experience he says reshaped how he views leadership and service. Today, Howell runs his own foundation, working to uplift communities across the Dallas-Fort Worth area. https://chrishowellfoundation.org/
“When you have that sphere of influence, and I admire Reverend Jackson for being able to try and use his voice to make a difference where he could and, for years,” Howell said.
Reverend Jesse Jackson died at the age of 84, leaving behind a legacy of faith, activism, and hope that reached far beyond his generation. His impact was felt even among young activists like Channing Hill of Euless, who was visited by Jackson during her Howard University protest sit-in over campus conditions.
“I remember feeling like I wasn’t alone, like there were giants who were willing to fight for me as well,” Hill said.
Hill is a young civil rights activist and future lawyer originally, who studied strategic, legal, and management communication at Howard University. She served as president of the Howard University NAACP chapter and helped lead the 34-day #BlackburnTakeover student protest over housing conditions—one of the longest in the school’s history.
Her work has earned national recognition, including the NAACP Image Award for Youth Activist of the Year, and she continues advocating for social justice and community change. Now, Channing is a first year law student at American University Washington College of Law.
Fort Worth community leader Rev. Keyv Tatum also met Jackson as a young person while involved with the Progressive Black Student Organization.
Years later, Tatum received what he describes as life-changing advice from Jackson before traveling to Uvalde to console families after the tragedy there.
“He said, ‘Tatum,’ he said, ‘don’t be political. Be spiritual.’ And that just said, in my soul, until this day,” Tatum said.
Tatum is a longtime Fort Worth pastor and community leader known for his work in civil rights, faith-based advocacy and mentoring the next generation. His leadership has spanned decades across North Texas, blending spiritual guidance with public service and a consistent presence during moments of crisis and community healing. He currently pastors New Mount Rose Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Worth.
As the nation reflects on Jackson’s passing, those he inspired say his consistency and commitment stand out most.
“He showed up over decades. Decade after decade, he continued to show up,” Howell said.
Jackson’s mantras, including “I am somebody” and “Keep hope alive,” continue to resonate with the next generation of leaders and activists.
“Keep hope alive. And that hope, it only stays alive through us,” Hill said.
“Even in those moments when you don’t feel like you’re someone, you are someone,” Howell said.