Whenever I need a pick-me-up, I rewatch Rev. Jesse Jackson’s “I Am Somebody” speech from his 1972 visit to Sesame Street. There’s something so bold and Black and beautiful seeing Rev. Jackson surrounded by young children having them recite that they are somebody worthy of protection and respect. That they are God’s children, no matter their race or economic status. They may be on welfare, but they are still somebody. They make a mistake, but they are still somebody. Every now and again, I need that reminder, even when sitting in my office as a tenured professor.
There will be lots of reflections about the life of Rev. Jackson and his contributions to local, state, national, and international politics. There will be thought pieces about his revolutionary 1984 and 1988 presidential runs that served as a continuation of Shirley Chisholm’s legacy, which also helped deliver Barack Obama to the presidency and Black mayors to executive office in cities from New York to Philadelphia to Baltimore and to Houston, to name just a few. His contributions could fill a stadium, and his oratory skills should be placed among the giants like Barbara Jordan and Fannie Lou Hamer.
But it is his “I Am Somebody” speech, which he gave in multiple settings through the years, that I always return to. Something about his afro and big gold medallion reciting what, at first glance, seems like a simple refrain, but in truth is so much deeper. As Jackson asked us to demand more from this country, to hold her accountable while also seeing her promise, he wanted us to remember we were worthy of the American dream. We were worthy of the benefits that this country bestowed on some but not others. We were deserving of a fair chance, a decent wage, dignity, and respect.
I remember being a young girl attending the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity conclaves when Jackson was running for the presidency in 1984 and wearing a purple T-shirt that stated in bold gold letters, “I Am Somebody because my daddy is a Que.” I remember feeling so loved and protected and filled with an electric energy during those family events. Not because I fully understood the weight and audacity of Jackson’s run for the presidency, but I was surrounded by thousands of Black men bursting with pride and confidence because of Jackson, a man who had the courage to look America in the face and declare his candidacy.
Jackson never made it to the White House, but he entered more homes and touched more lives than we can ever know. His efforts to help people, not just Black people, register to vote and engage in electoral politics have created generations of new voters. He created political leaders and elected officials in cities large and small. And he is the reason so many people, and not just Black people, know…without a shadow of a doubt, that they are somebody.
Christina Greer, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Fordham University; author of the books “How to Build a Democracy: From Fannie Lou Hamer and Barbara Jordan to Stacey Abrams” and “Black Ethnics: Race, Immigration, and the Pursuit of the American Dream”; and co-host of the podcast FAQ-NYC.