#1775 Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition and the Remaking of American Politics

#1775 Jesse Jackson's Rainbow Coalition and the Remaking of American Politics

Author: Best of the Left: Perspectives on Politics, Culture, and Economics March 7, 2026 Duration: 3:21:55

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.

Be part of the show! Leave a voice message, message us on Signal at the handle bestoftheleft.01, or email Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com

Full Show Notes

Check out our new show, SOLVED! on YouTube!

BestOfTheLeft.com/Support (Members Get Bonus Shows + No Ads!)

Use our links to shop Bookshop.org and Libro.fm for a non-evil book and audiobook purchasing experience!

Join our Discord community!


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

KP 4: Slap in the Face. Speaker Mike Johnson Declines to Honor Rev. Jesse Jackson - Roland S. Martin - Air Date 2-21-26

KP 5: Ryan Grim: "We've Got People: From Jesse Jackson to AOC..." - The Zero Hour with RJ Eskow - Air Date 4-29-19

KP 6: Was The Rev. Jesse Jackson A Man Before His Time? Part 1 - In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Air Date 10-20-25

KP 7: From the Archives: Jesse Jackson's Speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention - CBS News - Air Date 2-17-26

KP 8: The Historic Presidential Campaigns Of Rev. Jesse Jackson - Brian Lehrer: A Daily Politics Podcast - Air Date 2-29-24

KP 9: Jesse Jackson Fought for Justice at Home & Abroad: Juan González & Bishop William Barber - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-18-06


(00:47:43) NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

Don't hate the game, change the rules


DEEPER DIVES

(00:58:53) SECTION A: PRESIDENTIAL RUNS

A1: Rev. Jesse Jackson Speaks at 1988 Democratic National Convention During 2nd Presidential Run - CBS Chicago - Air Date 2-17-26

A2: "Keep Hope Alive": Remembering Rev. Jesse Jackson, Civil Rights Icon Who Twice Ran for President - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-17-26

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

C2: Bomani Jones Reflects on the Life of Jesse Jackson: The Last Civil Rights Icon - The Right Time with Bomani Jones - Air Date 3-19-26

C3: Jesse Jackson Interview: Marching the Righteous Path with Martin Luther King Jr - Life Stories - Air Date 8-26-24

C4: "I Am – Somebody:" Reflecting on the Life and Legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson - Amanpour and Company - Air Date 2-19-26


(02:49:46) SECTION D: HIS LEGACY

D1: Was The Rev. Jesse Jackson A Man Before His Time' Part 2 - In the Loop with Sasha-Ann Simons - Air Date 10-20-25

D2: Jesse Jackson's Legacy: From Marching with MLK to Building the Rainbow Coalition - Democracy Now! - Air Date 2-17-26

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 CongressNo known copyright restrictions.

 

Produced by Jay! Tomlinson

Visit us at BestOfTheLeft.com

Listen Anywhere! BestOfTheLeft.com/Listen Listen Anywhere!

Follow BotL: Bluesky | Mastodon | Threads | X

Like at Facebook.com/BestOfTheLeft

Contact me directly at Jay@BestOfTheLeft.com


For over fifteen years, Best of the Left-Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy has served as a vital, human-curated digest of voices from across the progressive spectrum. Instead of presenting a single opinion, each episode is built around a specific theme-from economic inequality to climate policy to cultural shifts-and weaves together insightful commentary from a diverse array of journalists, activists, and thinkers. This approach allows you to efficiently grasp the nuances of complex issues by hearing multiple expert angles in one sitting, all while discovering new commentators and sources you might not have encountered otherwise. The result is a richly layered analysis that algorithms simply cannot replicate, offering depth and context often missing from the daily news cycle. Since 2006, this award-winning podcast has cut through the noise, drawing from hundreds of independent and established sources to provide a coherent, thoughtful examination of the forces shaping our society and governments. Tuning in means joining a long-running conversation dedicated to understanding and advancing democratic principles, social justice, and a more equitable economy, all through the focused lens of leftist thought.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Best of the Left - Leftist Perspectives on Progressive Politics, News, Culture, Economics and Democracy
Podcast Episodes
#1751 Monthly-ish Mix: Institutions Fall, Reality Breaks, Empire Rises [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:47:06
Air Date: 11/11/25 The Monthly-ish Mix™ is here to get you caught up on recent news without being overwhelming! This month we examine how power is being quietly consolidated across institutions, how propaganda and AI are…
#1750 "America's Backyard" - The War on Terror Meets the War on Drugs [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:05:57
Air Date 11/7/2025 The United States claiming a divine (and imperialist) right to tamper in the politics of South American countries is nothing new. As is so often the case with Trump, the biggest difference is that he's…
#1749 Democracy: In Theory, In Practice, and Under Threat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:02:14
Air Date 11/4/2025 Elections are always coming up, some sooner than others, so we thought we would take a look at the state of our democracy and what we must do to maintain it in the face of the greatest direct assault o…
#1747 Racism in the United States, it turns out, is a problem [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:10:15
Air Date 10/28/2025 As we were looking for episode topics, I came across an article making the case that racism is a real problem in the country and that there were lots of recent examples that proved the point. And I wa…
#1746 What an actual attack on free speech looks like [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 3:12:46
Air Date 10/25/2025 Trump's attacks on free speech, particularly with the use of the Federal Communications Commission, goes far beyond the Jimmy Kimmel story. We're in the middle of an all-out assault on freedom of spee…
#1745 Fake New World: The Age of AI Slop, AI Education, and AI Fascism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 4:18:56
Air Date 10/19/2025 Robber Barons™ of The Gilded Age™ told themselves stories about how they were ushering in progress for all which is why, they argued, they shouldn't be constrained by things like safety regulations or…