For the Rev. Kenneth L. Simon, pastor of New Bethel Baptist Church in Youngstown, Jesse Jackson’s life and legacy were not merely in the abstract; they were real and personal.

His father, the late Rev. Lonnie K.A. Simon, who also pastored at New Bethel, was Jackson’s local campaign coordinator in Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 bids for the presidency with the National Rainbow Coalition, which Jackson founded in 1984 to bring together a diverse and multicultural base in the nonviolent fight for social justice, economic empowerment and civil rights.

Jackson’s messages of greater inclusion were aimed in part at “restoring hope to people who have been disenfranchised, locked out and left out,” Simon said, noting that Jackson also fought for voting rights and fair housing, much in lockstep with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s approach in the 1960s.

In addition, Jackson, who Simon described as “very personable,” stopped in the Mahoning Valley in 2004 when New Bethel’s new sanctuary was being dedicated, Simon said. The longtime pastor added that Jackson and Lonnie Simon also marched together in Selma, Alabama.

Jackson’s bids for the nation’s highest office in the 1980s gave the sense of someone who represented the interests and voices of those who felt “snuffed out and ignored,” Simon continued. In addition, Jackson’s candidacy was built on a framework and desire to include all Americans, not just black people, he said.

Jackson’s life and legacy take on added significance partly because many young people today don’t know civil rights history because they didn’t live through that era. Such a dynamic has contributed to voter apathy, so it’s important to educate, encourage and inspire many of this generation, Simon said.

The need today is great for those with a strong heart and passion for social justice to spread such messages, and losing someone of Jackson’s caliber has created a great void, he explained.

“When you lose one, it hurts your heart,” Simon said, adding that it’s vital to mourn Jackson’s death but also celebrate his life and legacy, as well as work to continue his work.

“We’re the ones who have the baton now,” Simon added.

SOJOURN LEADER

Penny Wells, the Mahoning Valley Sojourn to the Past organization’s executive director and a longtime civil rights activist, recalled that her parents, Preston and Danna Whorton, met Jackson one day when he spoke in Chicago on behalf of the Southern Baptist Christian Life Commission.

“He said to them, ‘A preacher should preach only 15 minutes. After that, you lose your audience.’ I often wondered if he, as a black Baptist preacher, followed his own advice,” Wells said, adding that her parents also were part of the Southern Baptist Christian Life Commission representing the Park Cities Baptist Church in Dallas.

The sadness inherent in losing Jackson also lies in the fact that he was one of the youngest members of King’s inner circle, nearly all of whom are deceased.

“It’s sad in today’s time to see those voices kind of dissipating,” Wells said.

Jackson, along with the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, another of King’s closest friends and confidantes, was on the Lorraine Motel balcony in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, standing next to King shortly before the latter was assassinated there.

In many respects, Jackson carried on King’s legacy of inclusion and became an outspoken advocate for social justice, Wells said.

Nevertheless, Jackson left a powerful and enduring legacy in his own right that extends beyond his association with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, a civil rights organization King founded in 1957, she added.

PASTOR TODD JOHNSON

The Rev. Todd Johnson, a local pastor and Warren city councilman, said while he never met Jackson, he was inspired by him and all he did since his childhood.

“His passing is a great loss to our country. I remember as a child seeing him on television and reading about him. I had a children’s book of his biography. He has been important to my life since I was a child,” Johnson said.

Johnson said he remembers how Jackson picked up the cause fighting for equality for people at a very young age after the death of Martin Luther King Jr.

“I remember when he ran for president and you saw people on television cheering ‘Run Jessie! Run!’ He fought for equity in hirings and for political representation for all people,” Johnson said.

He said he remembers his family watching on television Jackson campaigning in the 1980s for president.

Johnson said it is important today that the younger generation step up and carry on Jackson’s legacy and fight for equity for everyone.

“In today’s political climate, we need to make sure everyone’s voices are heard,” Johnson said.

TRUMBULL COUNTY NAACP

Annette McCoy, president of the Trumbull County Chapter of the NAACP and third vice president for the state NAACP, said she will always remember Jackson’s slogan “Keep Hope Alive,” which she said is even more important to remember in the current political climate.

McCoy said over the years, Jackson carried the torch through his leadership, which moved the country forward. She said his death will be felt not only across the country, but worldwide, for all he did in his lifetime.

“He is someone who will be remembered globally. He was a connector for so many communities and a voice for change. He left a mark as someone who connected people and communities when our country was so divided,” she said.

McCoy said she remembers Jackson reached out to many groups, from laborers and farmers to the general public.

OTHER REACTIONS

The Rev. Garrick Matlock, pastor of Freeway Gospel Empowerment Center in Warren, said Jackson was always an inspiration to him, especially when he ran for president in 1984 and 1988. He said he was not able to vote yet in an election but as a teen he was interested in what Jackson had to say.

“I would watch documentaries on him and remember his commentary when he talked about the death of Dr. King and the ongoing fight for civil rights. He had the message of Keep Hope Alive. I always listened closely to him. It was exciting when he started the Push Coalition and how he continued the legacy of Dr. King,” Matlock said.

Warren resident and veteran Kim Johnson, who led a panel discussion with local African American veterans this week at the Trumbull County Veterans Service Commission in Warren, said he was “blown away” when he saw Jackson when he was a high school freshman in 1978. Johnson went with his older brother who was a student at Dillard University in New Orleans.

“I was in ninth grade when I went with my brother to Dillard University in 1978 when Jesse Jackson was speaking there. I was amazed at what he had to say. It was nice to be able to see him first hand. I was really blown away by being there,” Johnson said.