Talamon, Bruce. [Jesse Jackson playing basketball with Secret Service detail]. Photograph. May 24, 1984. Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2024630785/
Martin Luther King is the most-studied civil rights leader in K–12 education; however, there are many other prominent figures from the Civil Rights Movement who have an important legacy. Jesse Jackson's significant legacy includes his close association with Martin Luther King Jr., which began in 1965 when he joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) during the Selma to Montgomery marches for voting rights. Most important, he was with King in Memphis, Tennessee, in April 1968, and was talking with him from below the balcony of the Lorraine Motel when King was assassinated. Learning about other key civil rights figures and their connection to King enables students to understand and connect with various movements across the country more comprehensively; students must understand that the Civil Rights Movement is not simply an aspect of Southern culture.
The photograph is a full-color shot of Jesse Jackson playing on an outdoor, concrete basketball court with his secret service detail. They are all jumping for the basketball.
- Jesse Jackson is a prominent American civil rights leader, a Baptist minister, and a politician who worked closely with Martin Luther King Jr. He was deeply involved in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) and later founded Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity) and the National Rainbow Coalition. His work has earned him numerous accolades, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2000.
- He attended North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, where he played basketball. His involvement in sport extended beyond his college years, as he remained an advocate for athletes' rights and used sport as a platform to promote social justice.
- What can we infer about Jesse Jackson when examining this image?
- How does the photograph communicate the relationship between Jesse Jackson and his security personnel?
- When considering the date of this photograph, why would it be necessary for Jackson to have a Secret Service detail?
- What can be assumed about Jackson’s security protection after the assassination of numerous political figures throughout the 1960s?
Common Core State Standards
9-10.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
- Students can examine this primary source and discuss why this individual had Secret Service protection and what historical situation made it necessary.
9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
11-12.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.
11-12.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.
- The preceding standards illustrate the progression of skills across grades 9–12. When students use the photograph as a text to analyze and expand their historical knowledge, they are practicing their ability to cite specific textual evidence from the elements of the image (e.g., frame, emotional impact, point of view) and determine central ideas that can be conveyed in accurate summaries.
- Introduction: Begin with a brief overview of Jesse Jackson's life and his contributions to the Civil Rights Movement. Also discuss the significance of visual media in understanding historical events and figures.
- Media Analysis: Ask students to observe the image closely and note their initial impressions. Then facilitate a class discussion with guiding questions:
- What do you notice about the setting and the people in the photographs?
- How do these images reflect Jesse Jackson's personality and legacy?
- What emotions or messages do the photographs convey?
- Writing Exercise: Have students individually or collaboratively write a descriptive essay or a reflective piece based on their media analysis. Encourage them to incorporate historical context, personal reflections, and descriptive language. Then facilitate a discussion of the different perspectives and insights gained from the photograph. Use this discussion to highlight the importance of visual media in understanding historical figures and events.
- Extension Activity: Assign an individual investigation researching another civil rights leader and finding a photograph that captures their legacy and/or their humanity beyond their political legacy
- Different perspectives and figures in the Civil Rights Movement are often overlooked or avoided. Including figures beyond Martin Luther King Jr. is essential in order to provide a more complete picture of the Civil Rights Movement. Some people may challenge a wider teaching of Black history.
Links to resources for approaching those topics
- Educators can consult this resource, titled “Discussing Race and Racism in the Classroom” from Facing History & Ourselves for more support.
- An additional photo taken of the same basketball game can complement or replace the primary source included in this rationale.
- Another photo of Jesse Jackson includes him shaking hands with a man who is sitting in a wheelchair. This photograph can be examined alongside the basketball photograph to provide a more complete portrait of Jesse Jackson and his legacy
- The lesson can also include a scavenger hunt through Jesse Jackson’s most profound contribution to society, his Rainbow PUSH coalition. Teachers will need to design a board/handout/slide of terms, people, and /or places students will need to find as they work through this linked resource.
- An NCTE lesson plan on Tupac Shakur’s political action includes his involvement in Jesse Jackson’s presidential campaign.