Leader of the civil rights movement with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and candidate for president, will be forever remembered as a “Drum Major for Justice”
WASHINGTON, DC, UNITED STATES, February 18, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — The LEAD Fund, a nonprofit research organization based in Washington, DC, mourns the passing of Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, the vaunted leader of the civil rights movement and associate of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was 84 years old.
Shirley J. Wilcher, President and CEO of the LEAD Fund, stated: “After the passing of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Jackson continued as a leader of the civil rights movement and kept the dream of Rev. King alive. From founding the Rainbow Push organization, to running for president in 1984 and 1988, he was a powerful agent for change.”
Rev. Jackson worked with heads of state, private industry and government to continue to promote equal opportunity. Wilcher added: “I remember him in the 1990s, when he inquired about the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP). OFCCP enforced programs to promote equal employment opportunity through affirmative action, and Dr. Jackson would support our mission.” As Executive Director for the American Association for Affirmative Action, renamed the American Association for Access, Equity and Diversity, Wilcher and her organization awarded Rev. Jackson the Arthur A. Fletcher Lifetime Achievement Award.
“We send our deepest condolences to the Jackson family and all who knew him. As Dr. King would say, Reverend Jackson was a ‘Drum Major for Justice’. We will need the spirit of Rev. Jackson and his good works as we embark on a more robust challenge to preserve equal opportunity and civil rights,” she added.
The LEAD Fund was established to provide thought leadership in promoting inclusive organizations and institutions through research and education on issues related to equal opportunity, social responsibility, human and civil rights. The LEAD Fund is a “Think and Do” tank, which advances new knowledge and tested strategies aimed at eliminating prejudice and discrimination.
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Shirley J Wilcher
lLEAD FUND
+1 240-893-9475
shirleywilcher@leadfund.org
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