The story of Jesse Jackson’s 1988 campaign and how close he came to becoming America’s first Black presidential nominee

Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., a civil rights leader and political outsider, ran for president in two groundbreaking campaigns that changed American politics. A son of the segregated South who went from nothing to eventually becoming one of the most well-known public figures in America, Jackson’s outsider political campaigns challenged the Democratic Party to reform its nominating process, more equitably include women and non-white voters, and appeal to Americans on a platform of economic populism.

In 1984, Jackson lost the nomination but started a movement he called the “Rainbow Coalition.” By 1988, Jackson was a force to be reckoned with. This time, he faced a crowded primary of established political hands. The race, led by Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, was heated from the beginning. Jac