In the 1970s, Civil rights leader Jesse Jackson delivered his powerful “I Am Somebody” speech, turning a simple affirmation into a rallying cry for dignity and economic justice. The speech emphasized self-worth, repeating the phrase “I am somebody” to affirm the humanity of Black workers who faced poverty, racism, and dangerous working conditions. Jackson’s message built on the legacy of the Memphis sanitation strike that had drawn Martin Luther King Jr. to the city just three years earlier. By

Jesse Jackson, a champion of civil rights who twice ran for president, died on Tuesday at 84. His mission, he said, was “to transform the mind of America.” Read more about Jackson's life and legacy: https://nyti.ms/4aGmiQJ | The New York Times