Birth Name: Jesse Louis Burns
Place of Birth: Greenville, South Carolina, U.S.
Date of Birth: October 8, 1941
Ethnicity: African-American
Jesse Jackson is an American civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as United States Shadow Senator from the District of Columbia, from January 3, 1991 to January 3, 1997.
Jesse was a candidate for the Democratic Party’s nomination for President of the United States in 1984 and 1988.
Jesse is the son of Helen (Burns) and Noah Louis Robinson. He was raised by his mother and stepfather, Charles Henry Jackson, whose surname he took.
Among his children are singer and political commentator Santita Jackson, politician Jesse Jackson, Jr., and businessperson and social justice advocate Jonathan Jackson.
Jesse’s paternal grandfather was Louis Robinson.
Jesse’s maternal grandmother was named Matilda.
Jesse is one of four people of significant African-American or African heritage to win a caucus and/or primary for a major American political party’s presidential nomination, having won 2+ states in 1984 and 9+ states in 1988. The other winners are:
*Walter E. Fauntroy (1972; Democratic; won Washington, D.C.)
*Shirley Chisholm (1972; Democratic; won 3 contests, including New Jersey)
*Barack Obama (Democratic; in 2008, he won 29+ states; in 2012, he won 50+ states)
Source: Genealogy of Jesse Jackson – http://www.wargs.com
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