I Am Somebody: Why Jesse Jackson Matters

by David Masciotra

There are few figures and leaders of recent American history of greater social and political consequence than Jesse Jackson, and few more relevant for America's current political climate. In the 1960s, Jackson served as a close aide to Dr. Martin Luther King, meeting him on the notorious march to legitimate the American democratic system in Selma. He was there on the day of King's assassination, and continued his political legacy, inspiring a generation of black and Latino politicians and activists, founding the Rainbow/PUSH Coalition, and helping to make the Democratic Party more multicultural and progressive with his historic runs for the presidency in the 1980s.

In I Am Somebody , David Masciotra argues that Jackson's legacy must be rehabilitated in the history of American politics. Masciotra has had personal access to Jackson for several years, conducting over 100 interviews with the man himself, as well as interviews with a wide variety of elected officials and activists who Jackson has inspired and influenced. It also takes readers inside Jackson's negotiations for the release of hostages and political prisoners in Cuba, Iraq, and several other countries. As Democratic politics sees a return to radicalism and the rise of a new generation of committed advocates of racial and economic justice, I Am Why Jesse Jackson Matters is a critical book for understanding where America in the 21st Century has come from and where it is going.

Featuring a foreword by Michael Eric Dyson.

232 pages, Hardcover

Published October 15, 2020

About the author

David Masciotra is the author of the forthcoming, "Exurbia Now: The Battleground for American Democracy" (Melville House Books), and "I am Somebody: Why Jesse Jackson Matters" (Bloomsbury, 2020). His previous books are "Working On a Dream: The Progressive Political Vision of Bruce Springsteen" (Bloomsbury, 2010), "Mellencamp: American Troubadour" (University Press of Kentucky, 2015), "Metallica by Metallica" (a 33 1/3 from Bloomsbury, 2015), and "Barack Obama: Invisible Man" (Eyewear Publishing, 2017).

He writes regularly The New Republic, Washington Monthly, the Progressive, CrimeReads, and many other publications on politics, music, and literature.

He lives in Indiana, where he teaches literature and writing courses at Indiana University Northwest. For more information visit www.davidmasciotra.com.

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Reviews

[Brandon Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

From pages 77-78: The first time that I interviewed Jackson, I asked him a question that would make even the toughest character uncomfortable--"Why do you think so many people hate you?"

I briefly described how associates and relatives of mine can hardly tolerate the sound of his name without collapsing into convulsions. Jackson's first rhetorical move was to disarm the potential tension of the question with dry humor: "Well, you should answer that. Why do you people act the way that you do?"

Then, he provided a serious and introspective answer. "Sometimes in my quietest moments I think about just what you're asking," he said, "And I think our impact was traumatizing to them."

Speaking in the plural so as not to exclude his committed staff and supporters, Jackson elaborated, "Many of them thought when they finally got rid of King in '68, and we floundered because we were so disoriented, that they were through with us on the national level."
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While I could never be included in the group described above, who hate Rev. Jackson, I easily fell into another group of white people--those who dismissed him as a joke, without ever really paying much attention to him. **shrug**"That's the culture I was raised in."

Masciotra pushes back against that culture we were raised in, the America of the 80s and 90s that denied a need for racial reckoning (when not actively fighting against any such thing). It's a difficult road Masciotra has chosen--Jackson remains outside our culture's slow reclamation and revision of figures we wrongfully degraded. All some people need to know about Jackson is a joke they heard on SNL in '92. Or a biased news story gleaned. Or just the median received through cultural osmosis. Masciotra takes anyone willing to reconsider this towering historical figure on a tour through his time with Martin Luthor King Jr., his numerous labor rights fights, dramatic hostage negotiations, historic presidential campaigns, and yes, the controversies. This amazingly researched book, rooted in years of interviews with Jackson himself, would make a phenomenal Netflix series if our culture ever wants to reckon with how we did Rev. Jackson wrong.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Deep, well-argued study of Jackson’s career, and his impact on the United States and the world. Jackson’s controversial tactics and style have overshadowed his many accomplishments, but after reading this I have developed a deep respect for the man. We need many more leaders like him.

[Janice Will · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a personal history that David masciotra brings to life, rich!