Here & Now

The Political Legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson in Wisconsin

Frederica Freyberg:
In other news, Reverend Jesse Jackson, the civil rights icon with strong Wisconsin connections, died this week. Jackson visited Milwaukee and environs many times, advocating for civil rights and social and economic justice. In the 1988 presidential primary election in Wisconsin, Jackson came in second in what the Milwaukee Common Council this week described as a barrier breaking run for the presidency, calling him a generational leader. At the time, Jackson told The New York Times he was very proud he got so many white votes in Wisconsin. Jackson marched in Milwaukee with Father James Groppi in the 1960s and was in Wisconsin most recently in 2024 encouraging voter registration. Reverend Jesse Jackson died at the age of 84.