Statement
Statement from Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich on the Passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson
For Immediate Release: Tuesday 17 February
“I was saddened to learn of the passing of Rev. Jesse Jackson, who helped widen the doors of opportunity in America.
Rev. Jackson’s work in the civil rights movement and his historic campaigns for President challenged a system that too often excluded people from power. By building the broad, multiracial Rainbow Coalition and insisting that economic justice and voting rights belonged at the center of our national conversation, he helped redefine who gets to participate and who gets heard. I was a member of the Rainbow Coalition and am grateful for the people I met and the work we accomplished here in Montgomery County.
We embrace Rev. Jackson’s legacy of justice, fairness, and inclusion as core values of Montgomery County. We are a community that takes pride in our diversity and in the belief that government should serve everyone. The expanded voter participation, the increased representation in public office, and the expectation that leadership should reflect the full diversity of our country are embedded in the foundation he helped build. Many of the leaders serving in communities like ours today were inspired by his undaunted example.
He understood that progress is not handed down; it’s organized, demanded, and defended. Rev. Jackson's life reminds us that real change requires courage and the consistent willingness to stand up, to speak out, and to bring people together even when the costs are high and the politics are hard.
We honor him best by continuing that work here at home; protecting voting rights, fighting for economic fairness, and making sure every resident in Montgomery County has a voice and a real opportunity to succeed. He lived a life that changed this country in ways that continue to shape our communities today. Our thoughts are with his family and all who carry forward his legacy.”
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Release ID: 26-007