Jesse Jackson’s son Yusef Jackson marks late father’s birthday, continues civil rights legacy

Get RNS’ thoughtful, essential religion reporting every morning. Sign up for free!

(RNS) — Yusef Jackson, the youngest son of the late Rev. Jesse Jackson, is making appearances at the kinds of events where his father was often a prominent figure.

In recent months, the current leader of the Rainbow Push Coalition, which the elder Jackson founded, has appeared at the March on Washington anniversary event in August and meetings of historically Black denominations.

On Thursday (Oct. 8), he’ll be marking his father’s birthday for the first time since Jesse Jackson’s death at age 84 in February; the veteran civil rights leader suffered from a rare neurodegenerative condition. Rainbow Push plans to launch a digital archive of remembrances of the Baptist minister and two-time presidential candidate this week.

The Chicago-based coalition continues to focus on human rights and economic empowerment. Yusef Jackson said he seeks to maintain a balance between maintaining his father’s legacy and continuing its “critical connection” between labor, faith and civil rights groups as the midterm elections approach. But he’s also bringing his own brand of leadership as the new president and…