I Am Somebody

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Few figures in recent American history have had as significant a social and political impact as Jesse Jackson, making him highly relevant to today's political landscape. In the 1960s, he was a close aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, participating in the pivotal march in Selma and present on the day of King's assassination. Jackson continued this legacy by inspiring a generation of black and Latino politicians and activists, founding the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and contributing to the Democratic Party's multicultural and progressive evolution through his presidential campaigns in the 1980s. David Masciotra argues for the rehabilitation of Jackson's legacy in American political history. Drawing from over 100 interviews with Jackson and various elected officials and activists influenced by him, Masciotra provides an in-depth look at Jackson's role in negotiating the release of hostages and political prisoners in Cuba, Iraq, and beyond. As Democratic politics shifts towards radicalism and a new generation advocates for racial and economic justice, this work is essential for understanding America's 21st-century trajectory. Featuring a foreword by Michael Eric Dyson.