Georgia Lawmakers Vow to Protect Rev. Jesse Jackson's Legacy After His Death

Lawmakers pause for moment of silence honoring civil rights icon who transformed Georgia politics

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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Rev. Jesse Jackson, a towering figure in the Civil Rights movement who spent decades carrying forward Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight for justice, died at age 84. Inside the Georgia State Capitol, lawmakers paused for a moment of silence and vowed to protect Jackson's legacy, which transformed politics and empowered generations of leaders in the state.

Why it matters

Jackson's impact in Georgia, the birthplace of the civil rights movement, is immeasurable. He registered thousands to vote, pushed corporations to hire Black workers, and fought to get minorities and women into positions of power - results that are visible in the state Capitol today. As Georgia lawmakers consider bills that could restrict voting access, they vowed to protect the very rights Jackson spent his life securing.

The details

Born in the Jim Crow South, Jackson became King's protégé and was in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968. He picked up the torch, founding Operation PUSH to fight for economic justice, then the Rainbow Coalition to unite people across racial lines. In Georgia, Jackson registered thousands to vote, pushed corporations to hire Black workers, and fought to get minorities and women into positions of power.

  • Rev. Jesse Jackson died on Tuesday, February 18, 2026.
  • Jackson returned to Georgia in 2021 for the trial of the men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery.

The players

Rev. Jesse Jackson

A towering figure in the Civil Rights movement who spent decades carrying forward Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s fight for justice.

State Rep. Al Williams

A Georgia state representative who has known Jackson since the 1960s.

State Sen. Gail Davenport

A Georgia state senator who joined the Rainbow Coalition as a volunteer, traveling Georgia with Jackson as he registered voters and fought for change.

Christopher Bruce

The ACLU of Georgia's policy director, who said Jackson's message was to engage with your leaders and demand they represent you.

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What they’re saying

“We have deep history with this giant.”

— State Rep. Al Williams (Atlanta News First)

“He inspired millions.”

— State Sen. Gail Davenport (Atlanta News First)

“Too much blood has been shed for our right to vote. So as Black people, we're not going to give up on that. And that's what we're down here for. We're not down here to win a popularity contest. We're down here to fight for the people.”

— State Sen. Gail Davenport (Atlanta News First)

“He always had a saying, 'I am somebody.' Everyone, the 11.2 million Georgians, we are somebody. This legislature and this budget, the laws that are passed, need to reflect that.”

— Christopher Bruce, ACLU of Georgia policy director (Atlanta News First)

What’s next

The bills restricting voting access are expected to move through legislative committees this week, and lawmakers vowed to protect Jackson's legacy by fighting those measures the same way he taught them to fight.

The takeaway

Rev. Jesse Jackson's transformative impact on Georgia politics and his lifelong fight for civil rights and social justice will continue to inspire lawmakers and activists in the state to defend the hard-won voting rights and representation that his work helped secure.