The Reverend Jesse Jackson has been one of the leading voices in the American civil rights movement since the 1960s. He worked together with Martin Luther King and was at the hotel in Memphis when King was assassinated in 1968. During the 1970s, Jackson founded an organisation then called Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), which works to improve social and economic opportunities for African-Americans.
“We are pleased that we can welcome one of the people who have genuinely continued the legacy of Martin Luther King for several decades,” says Anna Sjöström Douagi, Programme Director at the Nobel Museum.
“Having a chance to listen to Jesse Jackson’s experiences from King’s era and learn how his ideas have been carried forward and how they look today is an invaluable addition to our current exhibition about Martin Luther King,” says Olov Amelin, Director of the Nobel Museum.
Jackson’s two presidential campaigns during the 1980s made him an even more important part of the US political landscape, and to this day he remains an outspoken and tireless champion of human rights and justice.
The January 15 event will take place on would have been King’s 90thbirthday. The Nobel Museum’s exhibition A Right to Freedom −Martin Luther King, Jr. will be on display at the Museum until September 15, 2019.
Press accreditation and interview inquiries:
Rebecka Oxelström, Communication Manager, Nobel Museum, rebecka.oxelstrom@nobelcenter.se, tel 0734 – 12 66 75