75. Unfinished Business: Racial Justice After Jesse Jackson

About this episode

This episode explores the life and legacy of Jesse Jackson and his impact on racial justice and democracy in America.

This episode explores the life and legacy of Jesse Jackson—from organizing alongside Martin Luther King Jr. to building the Rainbow PUSH Coalition and reshaping the American electorate through his historic presidential campaigns. Challenging the media’s narrow framing of Jackson's impact in the wake of his passing, the episode uplifts the ways that his strategy, diplomacy, and inclusive vision laid the groundwork for a stronger democracy — exploring nuances that are often overlooked. Host Kimberlé Crenshaw is joined by former DNC Chair Donna Brazile, President and Founder of the Truth and Justice Coalition Barbara Arnine, and Professor of Political Science at Hunter College-CUNY Joseph Lowndes. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Clips in this episode from: ABC News CNN CBS Seasme Street Democracy Now Amanpour & Company Connect with us: ⁠⁠Donate to our show⁠ Follow the podcast on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Watch an extended cut of this presentation on Youtube⁠

People in this episode

Host: Kimberlé Crenshaw

Guests: Donna Brazile, Barbara Arnine, Joseph Lowndes

Topics covered

• racial justice
• Jesse Jackson
• political legacy
• democracy
• media representation
• inclusive vision

Keywords

• Jesse Jackson
• Rainbow PUSH Coalition
• racial justice
• democracy
• political campaigns
• media framing
• inclusive vision

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Rainbow PUSH Coalition, Democratic National Committee, ABC News, CNN, CBS, Sesame Street, Democracy Now, Amanpour & Company

More episodes of Intersectionality Matters!

• 79. Introducing Backtalker: an American Memoir · May 5, 2026 · 58 min
• 78. Misogynoir, Basketball, and the Art of Accountability · April 11, 2026 · 59 min
• 77. Heroes, Harm and History: Chavez's Legacy and Women's History Month · March 31, 2026 · 41 min
• 76. The Story of Us 2026, Part 2 · March 18, 2026 · 26 min
• 74. The Story of Us 2026, Part 1 · February 12, 2026 · 51 min
• 73. The Sounds of Us · December 18, 2025 · 1h 5m