Jesse Jackson was larger than life, says The Namibian founding editor Gwen Lister

The Namibian founding editor Gwen Lister has described American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson as a “larger-than-life” figure whose activism extended beyond American borders.

Speaking to Desert Fm on Wednesday, Lister said Jackson maintained strong ties with Namibia’s liberation movement and consistently supported Swapo during the country’s struggle for independence.

He died aged 84 on Tuesday.

She said she met Jackson several times in the United States (US) and in Namibia, including during the historic announcement of Namibia’s 1989 election results.

“Jackson was always very active in the civil rights movement in the US. So he was always incredibly supportive of human rights basically everywhere,” she said.

“At the occasion, he greeted me saying, ‘greetings, fellow freedom fighter,’ and I thought it was cool at the time.”

Lister said current leaders around the world can learn from his commitment and consistency to causes and principles that matter: people’s lives, dignity, justice, and equal rights, which everybody deserves.

“I think he was unwavering in that commitment over decades. He was an amazing person who honestly contributed to the civil rights movement in the US,” Lister noted.

Although she has mostly only met him in work settings, she said Jackson was always welcoming and engaging.

“He was something of an internationalist in that sense, with a lot of American politicians very inward-looking. I think his impact was really quite great,” Lister said.

Jackson founded the Rainbow Coalition in the US and was one of the first politicians to speak out for the gay rights movement and gay marriage.

Former prime minister Nahas Angula says he was surprised to learn of Jackson’s death.

Angula says Jackson was a civil rights leader in the US and elsewhere.

“Jackson and others fought for civil rights in America and elsewhere, he was a staunch and anti-apartheid campaigner. He has departed into ancestry, let his soul rest in peace,” Angula says.

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