Jesse Jackson Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jesse Jackson Jr.
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Official portrait, c. 2007
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Illinois's 2nd district |
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| In office December 12, 1995 – November 21, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Mel Reynolds |
| Succeeded by | Robin Kelly |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Jesse Louis Jackson Jr.
March 11, 1965 Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Parents | Jesse Jackson (father) Jacqueline Brown (mother) |
| Relatives | Santita Jackson (sister) Jonathan Jackson (brother) |
| Education | North Carolina A&T State University (BS) Chicago Theological Seminary (MDiv) University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (JD) |
| Criminal details | |
| Criminal status | Released |
| Criminal charge | Conspiracy to Steal Campaign Funds – Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 371 |
| Penalty | 30 months in federal prison |
Jesse Louis Jackson Jr. (born March 11, 1965) is an American politician. He was a U.S. representative for Illinois from 1995 to 2012. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
Jesse Jackson Jr. is the son of famous activist and former presidential candidate Jesse Jackson. Before becoming a politician, he worked for his father's social justice group, Operation PUSH. His former wife, Sandi Jackson, also served on the Chicago City Council. He helped with Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008. Jackson was known for his liberal views on social and money-related issues. He also wrote books about civil rights and personal finance.
In 2012, Jackson was investigated for misusing money from his campaigns. He resigned from Congress on November 21, 2012. He said this was due to health problems, including bipolar disorder. In 2013, Jackson admitted to using campaign money for personal items. He was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. He was released in March 2015.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jesse Jackson Jr. was born in Greenville, South Carolina. He grew up in Chicago, Illinois. He is one of five children of Jesse Jackson and Jacqueline (Brown) Jackson. As a child, he attended John J. Pershing Elementary School.
When he was young, Jackson and his brother Jonathan went to Le Mans Academy in Indiana. He was a good football player in high school. Sports Illustrated magazine featured him for his athletic skills. He graduated from St. Albans School.
Jackson then went to North Carolina A&T State University, his father's college. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1987. He also studied at the Chicago Theological Seminary, earning a master's degree. Later, he earned a law degree from the University of Illinois College of Law in 1993.
Early Political Work
As a teenager, Jackson helped his father with civil rights activities. He worked on his father's presidential campaigns in 1984 and 1988. While in college, he helped register 3,500 voters. His first job after college was as an executive director for the Rainbow Coalition.
Jackson was arrested for protesting apartheid at the South African Embassy in Washington, D.C. He also protested weekly in Chicago. He even shared the stage with Nelson Mandela in 1990. Before joining the House of Representatives, he worked for the Democratic National Committee's Black Caucus. He also helped register millions of new voters.
Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives
Jackson's wife wanted him to run for Congress in 1996. His father wanted him to run for a state position. Jackson decided to run for the 2nd District Congressional seat in Illinois. This district includes parts of Chicago and its suburbs.
Mel Reynolds resigned from Congress in 1995. Jackson then officially announced his candidacy. He won the Democratic primary election. The district was mostly Democratic, so Jackson was expected to win the general election. He won with 76% of the vote and took office on December 15, 1995.
Jackson quickly became known for his liberal views. He often disagreed with the Speaker of the House, Newt Gingrich. He was seen as less charismatic than his father. However, his family's name helped him in politics. He was re-elected many times with large majorities.
Key Actions and Views
Jackson was known for almost never missing a vote in Congress. He worked to get a seat on the United States House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He wanted to support a third airport for Chicago. He also campaigned for other Democratic candidates.
Jackson had some disagreements with Jewish leaders early in his career. He was criticized for not strongly enough condemning anti-Semitic remarks by Louis Farrakhan. Newsweek magazine listed Jackson as one of 100 people to watch in the new century. They even wondered if he would be the first black president.
Jackson often disagreed with the Bill Clinton administration. He voted against bills that were compromises between Democrats and Republicans. He believed in direct aid for poor nations, not just trade. He also spoke out about minority hiring in technology jobs. Jackson voted against the impeachment of Bill Clinton.
In 2001, Jackson worked with Republican Henry Hyde to push for a third Chicago airport. He even withheld support from local Democrats who did not support the airport. On January 6, 2001, Jackson objected to counting Florida's electoral votes in the 2000 presidential election.
In 2004, Jackson supported a plan for a casino in his district. In 2005, he sponsored a bill to create a life-size statue of Rosa Parks. The statue was placed in Statuary Hall at the United States Capitol. President Bush signed the bill into law.
After the 2004 elections, Jackson supported election reform. He wanted voting rules to be the same everywhere. He believed that different rules made elections unfair. He proposed laws for uniform voting standards.
Jackson and Zach Wamp worked to change the name of the main hall of the United States Capitol Visitor Center. They wanted to call it Emancipation Hall. This name was approved and passed the House.
Jackson supported a clear timeline for withdrawing troops from Iraq. In 2007, he also supported giving money to families who lost loved ones in the 1998 United States embassy bombings. He even suggested starting impeachment proceedings against President Bush.
In 2011, Jackson made a speech proposing a constitutional amendment for "equal education rights." He suggested every student get an iPad from the government. Later, he blamed the iPad for "eliminating thousands of American jobs."
Jackson gave a speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention. He talked about Martin Luther King Jr. and praised Barack Obama's leadership. He also tried to unite the Illinois Democratic party.
During the 2008 financial crisis, Jackson proposed increasing food stamps. He voted against an early version of a federal bailout bill. He felt it did not protect homeowners enough. However, he later voted for the final bill. Jackson also worked to make the Pullman District a National Park Service site.
Committee Work
Jackson served on the Committee on Appropriations. This committee decides how the government spends money. He was also appointed to the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission in 2003.
Campaign Fund Misuse
In October 2012, federal investigators looked into Jackson for misusing campaign funds. Sixteen days after being re-elected, Jackson resigned on November 21, 2012. He mentioned his health problems and the ongoing investigations.
In February 2013, Jackson admitted to using about $750,000 of campaign money for personal items. These included a Michael Jackson fedora and cashmere capes. He pleaded guilty to charges related to this misuse of funds.
On August 14, 2013, Jackson was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. His wife, Sandi, was sentenced to 12 months for hiding the crimes. Their sentences were staggered so one parent could be with their children.
Prison and Release
Jackson began his prison sentence on October 26, 2013, in North Carolina. On March 26, 2015, he was released from prison. He then served the rest of his sentence at a halfway house in Baltimore, Maryland. After his release, he had to complete three years of supervised release and 500 hours of community service. He was fully released on June 22, 2015.
Other Political Activities
2000 Presidential Election
Jackson supported Al Gore for president in 2000, even though he felt Gore was not liberal enough. He encouraged liberal voters to support Gore instead of Ralph Nader.
2007 Mayoral Election
Jackson was considered a possible candidate for Mayor of Chicago in 2007. He had a more moderate reputation than his father. He also had support from different racial groups. Jackson challenged Mayor Richard M. Daley on several issues. However, he decided not to run for mayor. He said he was excited about his work in Washington, D.C., as Democrats were gaining control of Congress.
Supporting Barack Obama
Jackson was an early supporter of Barack Obama. He was a national co-chairman for Obama's 2008 presidential campaign. He helped gather support for Obama. Jackson described Obama as a "successor" to Martin Luther King Jr.. He admired Obama's ability to unite different groups.
In 2008, Jackson's father made a comment about Obama that caused controversy. Jackson Jr. quickly expressed his disappointment in his father's words.
2009 U.S. Senate Seat
After Obama was elected president, his U.S. Senate seat became open. Jackson was considered a possible replacement. Many black leaders wanted a black successor. Jackson highlighted his work in Congress and his loyalty to Obama.
However, a scandal involving Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich became public. Blagojevich was arrested for trying to sell the Senate seat. Jackson was questioned by federal prosecutors. He denied any wrongdoing and said he was not a target of the investigation. He strongly opposed "pay to play" politics.
Author
Jackson co-authored several books. In 1999, he wrote It's About the Money: How You Can Get Out of Debt, Build Wealth, and Achieve Your Financial Dreams. This book helps people achieve financial independence.
In 2001, he co-authored Legal Lynching: The Death Penalty and America's Future. This book spoke out against the death penalty. It was a follow-up to a book written by his father.
Also in 2001, Jackson Jr. wrote A More Perfect Union: Advancing New American Rights. This book shares his political ideas and includes parts of his life story. It talks about the connection between race and economics. It also proposes eight constitutional amendments for more social and economic opportunity.
Personal Life
Jackson met his future wife, Sandi Stevens, during the 1988 presidential campaign. They married in 1991. They have two children, Jesse III and Jessica. They owned homes in Chicago and Washington, D.C. Their Chicago home was featured on an HGTV show.
Jackson enjoys fencing, hunting, and fishing. He has friendships with politicians from different parties. He had a good relationship with Republican President George W. Bush. He also watched the Super Bowl at Camp David with Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton.
In 2005, Jackson shared that he had lost 50 pounds after having bariatric surgery. He is a member of the Omega Psi Phi fraternity, like his father.
Jackson is also a martial arts enthusiast. He practices kung fu, tae kwon do, and karate. In 2007, he had a verbal disagreement with another representative on the House floor. They later shook hands and moved past it.
Jackson used a Segway in Washington to help him get around. He joked that it helped him keep his good voting record.
In 2012, Jackson's office announced he was receiving medical treatment for a mood disorder. Later, it was confirmed he was being treated for bipolar II disorder at the Mayo Clinic.
In 2016, Jackson filed for divorce from his wife. They finalized their divorce in 2018.
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