The District, nation and world lost two civil rights giants on Feb. 17.
From his work with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., founding of Rainbow PUSH Coalition, trailblazing presidential campaigns, and barrier-breaking service as the District’s first shadow senator, the Rev. Jesse Jackson, 84 died early on Feb. 17, leaving a legacy of fearless advocacy in the modern-day Civil Rights Movement and beyond.
While Jackson was groundbreaking locally and nationwide, the Rev. Graylan Scott Hagler, who also died Tuesday morning, brought attention to global fights from the heart of the nation’s capital. An advocate from the pulpit to District streets, Hagler, 71, used his faith and foundational belief in equity for all as a source of inspiration to lead and join many justice efforts over the years, serving as a mentor for local and national organizers.
While both faith leaders and freedom fighters are now ancestors, their legacies continue, offering inspiration for the next generation of organizers and justice leaders. Both men served as torchbearers in the civil rights fight. As the nation marks 100 years of Black History Month, it is important to highlight the work of two Black history-makers in D.C. and around the globe, whose legacies can be used as sources of wisdom today and for the future.
Standing on the balcony of the Lorraine Motel, where King was assassinated, a 26-year-old Jackson made it his mission to further the civil rights martyr’s work— rallying from the streets, to churches, to Capitol Hill. He worked toward equity by holding leaders accountable, fighting for legislation that supported equal rights for all, organizing national and worldwide justice efforts, and serving as a mentor to many.
From an early age, Hagler also started his justice work, and has been unapologetic in his fervent freedom fight. From speaking up for marginalized District residents, fighting against mass incarceration, endorsing gay marriage and supporting vulnerable groups abroad, Hagler’s local leadership encouraged faith in action for people in D.C. and worldwide.
While they are no longer on earth to organize rallies, preach from pulpits, and offer advice, the two have provided a blueprint for current and future justice work.
Hagler was a regular contributor to The Washington Informer, sharing his viewpoints on happenings in the world and offering advice on moving forward.
For instance, he talked about holding churches and faith leaders accountable when entering the political fray after the arrest of Don Lemon for covering a protest in St. Paul Minnesota.
“Those of us fighting bias and exclusion in the church observe how God loves all the people that people in the church love to hate,” he wrote in a February op-ed.
In a 2022 op-ed, Hagler also offered suggestions on how to address substance abuse in the District.
“We must adopt a humane, evidence-based public health approach to address drug use and addiction rather than continuing with the failed strategy of punishment,” he wrote, “which rarely, if ever, provides real justice or support.”
Similarly, Jackson has spent decades offering affirmations for the Black community like “I am somebody,” and creating plans of action for the fight ahead. In 2018, during the first Trump administration, he came to Ebenezer A.M.E. Church in Oxon Hill, Maryland, delivering a message to help combat modern-day hatred and injustices.
“Our challenge today is to deal with the Trump era,” Jackson said. “Trump has vowed to unravel everything that Dr. King bound and everything that [former President] Barack [Obama] bound. What would [King] do today? Number one, he would not exchange nastiness, put out fire with water, put out hate with love. It would not be a tweeting contest,” Jackson said from the pulpit.
He also offered a call to action that serves as an important reminder in an election year.
“We have seen God do so many marvelous things in the past when we didn’t have the right to vote,” he said, before emphasizing a notion that remains true eight years later ahead of the 2026 midterms. “Now we have power… [We need] mass voting to bring people together to end the hatred and the bitterness.”