Marin IJ Readers’ Forum for Feb. 25, 2026

Day spent with Jesse Jackson was powerful, unforgettable

Fresh out of college in 1975, I joined The Rev. Jesse Jackson on a march to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development offices in Philadelphia. We marched to protest HUD’s corrupt and incompetent administration of a housing relief bill.

News of the civil rights leader’s death on Feb. 17 brought back vivid memories of that day. In the lobby, a Black elevator operator confronted Jackson to tell him he could not take...