The Source |Samuel L. Jackson Salutes Rev. Jesse Jackson at 2026 NAACP Image Awards

Taking the stage, the actor revisited the activist’s origins and rise. “We all know the story of Jesse Jackson,” Jackson began. “Born to an 18-year-old unwed mother in Greenville, South Carolina. Growing up in the Jim Crow South, getting out on a path that led him to the top of the mountain.”

He emphasized the endurance of that journey. “For over half a century, which is a long damn time to be on the front lines, he advocated for the poor, the disenfranchised, for those who needed work,” Jackson continued. “And he found jobs for our community in every endeavor, including entertainment.”

Jackson also spoke personally about the reverend’s impact. “He inspired a young man who has the same last name as his, one Samuel L. Jackson.”

Calling on the audience to remain active in confronting injustice, he said, “All of us, in some degree or another, have spoken out, marched, protested… inspired by a man who now, I’m sure, resides with the good Lord in heaven. …Whenever we see that a wrong must be made right, all of us can ask ourselves: W.J.D.., what would Jesse do?”

“We will continue his mission,” Jackson declared. “We will carry the torch he lit and keep hope alive. And we will not be erased from this country’s history because we are somebody…”

Rev. Jesse Jackson died earlier this month in Chicago after battling a rare neurological disorder. His family said, “Our father was a servant leader, not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world. We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family.”