( U . S . Library of Congress )
Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of New York , Ilhan Omar of Minnesota , Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts , members of the left-wing group of Democratic Representatives known as “ The Squad ,” are direct legacies of Jackson ’ s Rainbow Coalition . So is the openly gay Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg . There were no Latinos , Muslims , Arabs or gays in the Democratic Party coalition before Jackson brought them in .
Former Georgia State Legislator Stacey Abrams is another Jackson legacy . She drew directly from the Jackson ’ s 1983- 84 voter registration playbook when she led a fateful registration drive in 2022 that turned Georgia from red to blue , keeping Democrats in control of the U . S . Senate after the mid-term elections , despite widespread media polls predicting a red wave sweeping the country .
updating the Biblical parable of David versus Goliath , were the ammunition latter day political Davids like himself could use to defeat bigger and stronger opponents . “ When we don ’ t vote , we lose by the margin of our despair ,” he preached , pointing out that unregistered voters regularly outnumbered the margin by which Democrats had lost in past presidential elections .
Jackson ’ s 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns also helped open the doors for Democratic Party workers like Donna Brazile and Minyon Moore to land top leadership positions in the DNC . Brazile and Moore are co-authors
The results of his 1984 voter registration crusade brought millions of new voters – led by disgruntled and first-time Black voters – into the Democratic Party , including socalled Black Muslims from the Nation of Islam who had never participated in mainstream politics before . The NOI ’ s paramilitary Fruit of Islam even provided security for Jackson until he got Secret Service protection when he formally declared his candidacy on November 4 , 1983 .
“ From the guttermost to the uttermost . From the outhouse to the White House . Our time has come ,” Jackson preached in campaign speeches about the growing black power base of the Democratic Party . “ Hands that once picked cotton can now pick a president !”
( U . S . Library of Congress )
“ America is a not a blanket ,” Jackson said . “ America is a quilt made up of many patches , many pieces , many colors .” That diversity now is reflected not only in the Democratic Party base , but in the makeup of the Democratic caucus in Congress and state legislatures across the country . Sen . Bernie Sanders , who endorsed Jackson in 1984 , is now a leader of the progressive wing of the Democratic Party .
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