Today, on behalf of the Government and people of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, I extend our deepest condolences to the family of Reverend Jesse Jackson, to the Rainbow PUSH family, and to all who counted him as a teacher, pastor and friend.
Reverend Jackson was a giant of the civil rights era, a close associate of Martin Luther King, Jr., and one of the most influential voices in the long struggle for racial and economic justice in the United States. From the marches of the 1960s, through his presidential campaigns in the 1980s, to his decades of advocacy through the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, he helped bend public policy toward fairness and opened doors that had been closed for generations.
His influence was never limited to one country. Reverend Jackson used his pulpit and his platform to speak up for oppressed and overlooked people across the world. He reminded leaders everywhere that democracy has meaning only when it delivers dignity and opportunity to those at the margins of society.
Here in The Bahamas, we were fortunate to share in his ministry and his friendship. He visited our islands on many occasions, including for the Progressive National Baptist Convention Mid-Winter Board Meeting held in Nassau in 2018, where he joined Bahamian church and community leaders in reflecting on Dr. King’s deep ties to the island of Bimini. On those visits he spoke warmly of our country, of our faith traditions, and of the example small nations can set when we choose justice and compassion as guiding principles.
His words also found their way into our own national life. The “I am somebody” message that inspired generations around the world was adopted in recent years as the name and spirit of a programme for persons with disabilities here at home, a reminder that every Bahamian has worth and must be seen and included. In that way, his voice echoed in our communities even when he was far from our shores.
Many Bahamians will recall that after Hurricane Dorian, Reverend Jackson and the Rainbow PUSH Coalition helped mobilise relief efforts, raising donations and supplies for those who had lost homes, livelihoods and loved ones. In our darkest hours, he chose to act, and we remain grateful.
Reverend Jackson often urged people to “keep hope alive”. Hope, as he taught it, was not an excuse for inaction. It was a call to organise, to vote, to stand together, and to build societies where race, class and background do not determine destiny. As a small island nation that has had to push against the currents of history, we recognise how much our own progress has been helped by the courage of leaders like him, who changed the moral and political climate of an entire era.
On this day of mourning, we give thanks for a life spent in service. We extend our prayers to his wife, children, extended family, and to all in the United States and around the world who are grieving his loss.
May Reverend Jesse Jackson rest in peace.
May his family be comforted.
And may we honour his memory by defending human dignity, fighting discrimination in all its forms, and keeping hope alive in our own time.”
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