New York leaders mourn Rev. Jesse Jackson as "a giant of the civil rights movement"

Many New York leaders are sharing their thoughts after Rev. Jesse Jackson, the famous civil rights leader, died Tuesday morning. 

Very few people worked as closely with or were as molded by Jackson as Rev. Al Sharpton, a civil rights activist who founded the National Action Network (NAN). 

Sharpton was a teenager when Jackson appointed him as the youth director of the Brooklyn branch of Operation Breadbasket, which was founded by Jackson in the 1960s. Their mentor-mentee relationship grew from there. 

At a news conference, Sharpton spoke about Jackson's leadership and influence on civil rights, politics and culture both in his home state of South Carolina as well as in New York. 

"Jesse Jackson changed American politics, and he changed New York politics," he said. "It had been a very sad day for me. Even though we knew he was very ill, when the moment comes, you are not prepared for it."

"He never stopped"

Sharpton explained how Jackson kept fighting for his beliefs until he died.  

Jackson told him that Dr. Martin Luther King and Malcolm X were assassinated when they were 39, so he never learned how to retire.

"We were never raised to be 40 years old. I woke up one day at 55. There's no retirement plan for us," Jackson told him.

Sharpton said he was notified of Jackson's passing around 2:30 a.m. He immediately jumped on a call to pray with Jackson's family.

He said that Jackson was more than just a public figure. He was a godfather to his two daughters, and he said his family spent every Christmas at the Jacksons' house.

Sharpton said Jackson was the most influential figurehead in his life and showed him how to stand up to injustices.

"He said to me that those that need the credit don't deserve it and those that deserve the credit don't need it," Sharpton said. "Well, I'm going to make sure as long as I'm alive he gets the credit."

"You never, ever, ever questioned his commitment"

Jennifer Jones Austin, vice chair on the board of NAN, was lucky enough to spend most of her life sharing rooms with Jackson. Her father, Brooklyn pastor William Augustus Jones Jr., worked closely with Jackson in the 1960s through Operation Breadbasket.

"I could sit and talk with him, and he would talk about the stories, the experiences, the memories with my dad," she said.

Jones Austin said Jackson's teachings became her own.

"I always appreciated how sincere and serious he was about the work," she said. "Yes, he laughed and he joked and he was a lot of fun to be around, but you never, ever, ever questioned his commitment to the cause and to the people."

While the nation mourns all that was and all that is Jackson's legacy, New York is joining the choir, thanking him for his dedication and love.

"I would just thank him for reminding me that I've got to keep pressing on no matter what," Jones Austin said.

Throughout the years, Jackson spoke at Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church, where Rev. Dr. Kevin R. Johnson is currently senior pastor.

"What he was able to do was to not only be a social activist, but he was also someone who moved the needle as it relates to politics," Johnson said.

He added, "It didn't matter who you were, what your background was, what your pedigree was. He saw you, and he helped to give your voice, voice to America."

"He was earnest. He was sincere. He was intentional," Jones Austin said. "And there was nothing, nothing that was going to move him from the cause and fighting for justice for his people."

Mamdani and Hochul on Jackson's passing 

"Today we mourn the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson, a giant of the civil rights movement who never stopped demanding that America live up to its promise.
He marched, he ran, he organized and he preached justice without apology.
May we honor him not just in words, but in struggle," New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani posted on social media.

Later at City Hall, Mamdani said, "When Reverend Jackson marched, millions followed. When Reverend Jackson organized, laws changed and coalitions formed. When Reverend Jackson spoke, the world listened. Time and again, we knew that hope still lived. Because Reverend Jesse Jackson kept it alive. I know that I'm joined by millions of New Yorkers and sending my deepest condolences to his wife and to their children."

Gov. Kathy Hochul also shared a statement on social media. 

"Reverend Jesse Jackson's life was defined by courage and conviction. From Selma to the national stage, he stood tall against injustice. We honor his legacy and the generations he inspired," she wrote.