The Rev. Jesse Jackson hosted a weekly show on CNN for nearly decade, called “Both Sides with Jesse Jackson.”
And while the civil rights icon’s show became known for lively debates – and for pushing the network to cover issues that are often underrepresented in the news – the show’s executive producer said he will most remember Jackson for his quieter moments of compassion.
In a touching tribute to Jackson, Rick Davis, who retired as CNN’s vice president of news standards and practices, recalled key moments from their decades-long professional and personal relationship.
No matter how busy work became, Davis said Jackson never failed to ask about his family, even praying with his grieving mother after his brother died.
Jackson “prayed with me and my mother — in ways I don’t think anybody else could have consoled her,” Davis writes. “I will forever be grateful for how he ministered to that Jewish woman, the daughter of parents who had fled the pogroms of Eastern Europe during World War II.”
Davis also recalled how an impromptu invitation to visit Jackson’s home in Washington, DC, ahead of Bill Clinton’s inauguration resulted in a brief meeting with Nelson Mandela.
But most of all, Davis remembered Jackson’s unwavering dedication to making America a more fair and just place for everyone.
“I am so fortunate to have had an intimate view of what made the man a giant in our lifetimes,” Davis wrote.
READ MORE: The Jesse Jackson that I knew
