AP Was There: A profile of Jesse Jackson as he prepared his 1984 campaign for the presidency
February 17, 2026
In 1983, The Associated Press profiled the Rev. Jesse Jackson when he was a 41-year civil rights activist preparing his historic 1984 campaign for the presidency. Jackson at the time described himself much like a prophet — driven by his religion to rise, like Jesus, Gandhi or the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. In the ’60s, he battled for equal rights, picketing restaurants and marching for open housing. In the ’70s he stressed self-respect and economic justice. In the ’80s, he turned to leadership, making a run for president. Friends and foes described him similarly — his ego, his drive, his grand ideas, his weakness as an organizer, and his clever courting of the media.