PVAMU honors life, legacy of Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr.

PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (Feb. 17, 2026) – Prairie View A&M University joins the nation and the global community in mourning the passing of the Reverend Jesse Louis Jackson, Sr., a towering moral voice, a tireless advocate for justice, and a servant-leader whose life’s work helped shape the moral compass of America.

Rev. Jesse Jackson (L) and PVAMU President Alvin I. Thomas (R)

For more than six decades, Reverend Jackson challenged this nation to live up to its highest ideals. Jackson stood at the intersection of faith and action, giving a voice to those often overlooked and insisting that justice must be pursued with courage and conviction. Grounded in a tradition that fused spiritual leadership with social responsibility, he demonstrated that meaningful change requires persistence, discipline, and an unshakable belief in the worth of all people.

Reverend Jackson’s impact on the civil rights movement was expansive and enduring. As a close associate of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he helped carry forward a vision of nonviolence, economic justice, and political empowerment into a new era. Through organizations such as Operation PUSH and the Rainbow Coalition, he broadened the struggle for equality by connecting civil rights to labor rights, educational opportunity, voting access, and global human rights, and by translating moral conviction into sustained action.

Rev. Jackson gets pinned by PVAMU senior Pamela Jones.

Prairie View A&M University was honored to be part of Reverend Jackson’s legacy. In 1978, he visited our campus, engaging students, faculty, and community members during a pivotal moment in the nation’s history. His presence affirmed the essential role of historically Black colleges and universities as incubators of leadership, consciousness, and change. He challenged students not only to pursue academic success but to embrace their responsibility as advocates for justice and stewards of their communities.

For generations of Panthers, that visit represents more than a historical moment. It reflects Prairie View’s long-standing commitment to scholarship rooted in service and leadership shaped by purpose. Reverend Jackson’s words reinforced a truth central to our mission: education reaches its highest calling when it prepares students to lead with integrity and courage and uplifts communities. That belief mirrors Prairie View A&M University’s values and continues to guide our work.

As we reflect on his life, we recognize that the work to which he dedicated himself remains unfinished. The pursuit of justice and the defense of human dignity belong to every generation.

On behalf of Prairie View A&M University, we extend our deepest condolences to the Jackson family and to all whose lives were shaped by his leadership. We honor his memory and recommit ourselves to the principles he lived by: faith, justice, and the belief that tomorrow can be better than today.