Rev. Jesse Jackson was honored with a standing ovation at the 57th NAACP Image Awards after Samuel L. Jackson delivered a heartfelt tribute celebrating the civil rights icon’s legacy.
The acclaimed, award-winning actor took the stage at the 2026 Image Awards on Feb. 28, elegantly dressed in traditional African attire, to deliver a soul-stirring salute to the esteemed civil rights and LGBTQ rights advocate, politician, and ordained Baptist minister who passed away on Feb. 17 at age 84. Jackson kicked off his speech with references to Jackson’s humble beginnings in South Carolina to his rise “to the top of the mountain” through two historic presidential campaigns and pivotal roles in expanding the modern civil rights movement into the realms of political power and economic justice.
“We all know the story of Jesse Jackson,” Jackson said, in a clip shared online. “Born to an 18-year-old unwed mother in Greenville, South Carolina. Growing up in the Jim Crow South, getting out on a path that led him to the top of the mountain.”
The Academy Honorary Award recipient went on to highlight Rev. Jackson’s decades of impactful civil rights work — from his early days as a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr., to founding the Rainbow PUSH Coalition, to championing global human rights causes, including negotiating the release of political prisoners and advocating for racial equality, voting rights, and economic empowerment.
“For over half a century — which is a long damn time to be on the front lines — he advocated for the poor, the disenfranchised, for those who needed work,” Jackson continued. “And he found jobs for our community in every endeavor, including entertainment.” Jackson also acknowledged how the activist inspired him in his youth. “He inspired a young man who has the same last name as his — one Samuel L. Jackson.”
Source: Samuel L. Jackson Honors Late Rev. Jesse Jackson At NAACP Image Awards, ‘Power To The People’
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