#1775 Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition and the Remaking of American Politics
Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Jay Tomlinson
4.5 • 3.4K Ratings
🗓️ 7 March 2026
⏱️ 203 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Air Date: 3/7/2026
Welcome to this episode of the Award-Winning Best of the Left Podcast. Today we examine the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson civil rights icon, two-time presidential candidate and one of the most consequential political figures of the 20th century.
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TOP TAKES
KP 1: Remembering Jesse Jackson - Here & Now Anytime - Air Date 2-17-26
KP 2: I Am Somebody - Jesse Jackson -Sesame Street - Air Date 2-17-26
KP 3: Why Jesse Jackson Mattered - Takes™ by Jamelle Bouie -Air Date 2-23-26
(00:47:43) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Don't hate the game, change the rules
DEEPER DIVES
(00:58:53) SECTION A: PRESIDENTIAL RUNS
A3: Making Jesse Jackson - Making - Air Date 10-26-22
(01:36:11) SECTION B: RAINBOW COALITION
B1: The Original Rainbow Coalition - Code Switch - Air Date 1-24-23
B2: Is a New Rainbow Coalition of Voters Possible? - Some of My Best Friends Are - Air Date 2-15-23
B3: The Life and Times of a 'revolutionary Hillbilly' - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 9-1-21
B4: We Can't Erase the Radicalism of the Rainbow Coalition - The Real News Podcast - Air Date 3-19-21
(02:14:46) SECTION C: THE MAN
C1: Rev. Jesse Jackson's 1975 Message to America - THIRTEEN PBS - Air Date 2-18-26
(02:49:46) SECTION D: HIS LEGACY
D3: Jesse Jackson: Crash Course Black American History #44 - CrashCourse - Air Date 8-9-22
SHOW IMAGE CREDITS
Description: Black and white photo of Rev. Jesse Jackson in 1983
Credit:"Jesse Jackson, half-length portrait of Jackson seated at table, July 1, 1983" via Wikimedia Commons | U.S. News & World Report collection at the Library of Congress. No known copyright restrictions.
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Transcript
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| 0:18.3 | Welcome to this episode of the award-winning Best of Left podcast. Today we examine the life and legacy of Reverend Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon, two-time presidential candidate, and one of the most consequential political figures of the 20th century. We'll hear Jackson's own soaring words from the 1984 and 1988 conventions, reflections on how he |
| 0:39.3 | transformed the Democratic Party from the inside, and analysis of why his rainbowed coalition |
| 0:44.8 | vision feels more urgent than ever in the current political moment. |
| 0:49.4 | For those looking for a quick overview, the sources providing our top takes in about |
| 0:52.8 | 45 minutes today, include |
| 0:54.7 | here and now anytime, Sesame Street, takes by Jamal Bowie, Roland S. Martin, The Zero Hour, and |
| 1:02.1 | CBS News. Then, in the additional deeper dives half of the show, there will be more in four |
| 1:06.3 | sections. Section A, presidential runs, Section B, Rainbow Coalition, section C, the man, and section |
| 1:13.8 | D, his legacy. But first, a reminder to check out our new show solved on the best |
| 1:19.1 | of left YouTube channel. We're really proud of the show we're making and think you'll get |
| 1:22.6 | real value out of it. Plus, you checking it out will help us find new viewers on YouTube, |
| 1:27.2 | so thanks in advance for all of your views, likes, subscribes, and comments. |
| 1:31.2 | That's all on the Best of Left YouTube channel, linked in the show notes. |
| 1:34.7 | And now, on to the show. |
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