"When Jesse Jackson called for the Democratic party platform to include Palestinian statehood, the pushback was fierce. While we had strong support from delegates at the convention, there was still a fear factor that the issue couldn't be discussed, recalls James Zogby, who was deputy manager of Jackson's presidential campaign. I was told by the [nominee Michael] Dukakis negotiators, if you even say the P-word, you'll destroy the Democratic party."
"When Jackson died on Tuesday at the age of 84, many tributes understandably focused on his contribution to the domestic civil rights struggle and how he bridged generations between Martin Luther King and Barack Obama. But perhaps uniquely for a non-president, his passing was also mourned around the world, from Havana to Johannesburg to Ramallah. Jackson was a man ahead of his time who blazed a trail for the progressives of today."
Jesse Jackson pushed in 1988 for the Democratic Party platform to endorse Palestinian statehood and faced intense internal resistance and warnings that mentioning the issue could harm the party. His platform effort failed at the national convention, though ten state Democratic parties had approved resolutions supporting Palestinian self-determination. Over ensuing decades, growing numbers of progressives aligned with Jackson's stance, while activists deepened their understanding. Jackson conducted international missions, advocated normalizing relations with Cuba, opposed South African apartheid, supported Palestinian rights, and worked to free US prisoners in Syria, Iraq, and Serbia. His death at 84 prompted global mourning.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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