OPEIU mourns the loss of Rev. Jesse Jackson, whose legacy as a civil rights leader continues to inspire the civil rights and labor movements. A protégé of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Rev. Jackson’s life’s work expanded the scope of possibilities for a broad, multiracial working-class coalition to impact domestic policy in the United States. 

His two presidential campaigns opened the door for more Black participation in our electoral system, inspiring champions of organized labor to run for public office. A critic of so-called “right-to-work” laws, Rev. Jackson worked behind the scenes to build support for halting the expansion of anti-union laws that leave working people worse off. As leader of the Rainbow Coalition, Rev. Jackson organized for social, racial and economic justice for all, building a broad movement of working people and extracting concessions from some of the nation’s largest companies to hire more Black workers. 

OPEIU honors the life and legacy of Rev. Jesse Jackson and sends our condolences to his family, friends, loved ones and all working people he inspired and uplifted throughout his storied life. 

For 100 years, the nation has recognized the achievements and contributions of Black Americans, and their place in American history during February. In 1926, Carter G. Woodson, who founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASALH), established the first Negro History Week, aligning it with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, to highlight African American contributions to society. President Gerald Ford expanded Negro History Week to Black History Month in 1976, officially recognizing the significance of African American history and culture. Since the mid-1970s, U.S. presidents have issued proclamations supporting ASALH's themes.

The Black History Month theme for 2026 is "A Century of Black History Commemorations," marking 100 years since the first Negro History Week in 1926, focusing on the historical efforts to study and celebrate Black life and culture, and celebrating African American contributions to labor, also emerging.”