By Joel Bleifuss | In These Times
Thirty years ago, Jesse Jackson made a historic run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Though he didn’t win the primary, his candidacy in 1984 and subsequent run in 1988 spurred a record turnout of African-American voters, united progressives and posed a formidable challenge to a complacent Democratic Party leadership. Now we have a black president, whom Jackson supports, though at times critically. These days, Jackson has been making headlines for going down to Ferguson, Missouri, to join the protests and for his bid to diversify the tech industry, which he says is the next step in the civil rights movement.
So does Jackson feel that with Obama in the White House, his electoral work is done? In These Times sat down to talk with the 72-year-old civil rights veteran about social change and the role of elections.
