By Jeanie Anastasi, Associate
As a girl, I attended my sister Tracy’s high school graduation from a public school in Prince George’s County, Maryland, in 1977.
The commencement speaker was the Reverend Jesse Jackson, who spoke with remarkable eloquence and offered a mantra to the graduating seniors: “I am somebody.”
Those simple yet powerful words left a lasting impression on this 13-year-old Caucasian Catholic girl who had never experienced that style of preaching.
His cadence, conviction, and clarity stirred something deeper than applause—it awakened awareness.
For decades, Reverend Jackson’s activism was marked by profound eloquence and moral courage.
An ordained Baptist minister and civil rights icon, Reverend Jackson used the power of language to mobilize change—whether marching in protest, advocating for justice, running for public office or addressing the nation from the stage of the Democratic National Convention.
His words consistently called people to dignity, responsibility, and hope.
In honor of Reverend Jackson, who died on February 17 at the age of 84, I incorporated several of his most memorable quotations into the opening prayer for our Dismantling Racism Committee meeting:
Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.
Keep hope alive.
Our flag is red, white and blue, but our nation is a rainbow.
Both tears and sweat are salty, but they render a different result. Tears will get you sympathy; sweat will get you change.
If my mind can conceive it, and my heart can believe it, I know I can achieve it.
If you fall behind, run faster. Never give up, never surrender, and rise up against the odds.
I am somebody.
These words are more than memorable lines from a gifted orator. They are a call to recognize the inherent dignity of every person, and to commit ourselves to the ongoing work of justice.
May we all seek to keep hope alive.
And may we all remember that each person we encounter truly is somebody.
