Vote Jesse Jackson '88

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Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson ran for president for the second time in 1988. Jackson sought the Democratic nomination, running against other notable candidates like Joe Biden and Al Gore. Jackson’s candidacy was criticized as a long shot from the beginning, but Jackson would run a fairly successful campaign, outperforming every candidate besides the eventual nominee, Michael Dukakis. Jackson’s successes were built on what he called a “Rainbow Coalition”, a collection of voters including people of color, LGBTQIA+ persons, the working class, and white progressives. Jackson sought to bring these groups together with policies like the support of universal healthcare, free community college, and the repeal of Reagan era tax cuts on the wealthy.  On June 7th, some of the last primaries would be held in California, Montana, New Jersey, and New Mexico. 

Although ultimately unsuccessful, Jesse Jackson’s Presidential campaign would leave a lasting legacy in America. At the time of his campaign, Jesse Jackson was the most successful African-American candidate for President, receiving nearly seven million votes. Many see Jackson’s campaign as paving the way for future President Barack Obama’s candidacy, and today many progressives look to Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition as a model for their own campaign.