Members of the Eugene Springfield NAACP are mourning the loss of Reverend Jesse Jackson, a civil rights activist and politician who died Tuesday at 84 years-old.
Vice President April Broadnax said that she remembers watching Jackson on TV during her childhood. She said that those times spent watching him are a part of what motivated her to pursue a career in activism.
“He is one of the main reasons why I wanted to eventually work with the NAACP, even as a kid. I was just like, that is the place I need to be at. I am absolutely heartbroken that he is gone,” said Broadnax.
Interim Executive Director Deborah Reynolds-Lange said Jackson’s death marks the loss of a towering civil rights leader. When she had the opportunity to meet Jackson, she said he took the time to provide her words of encouragement.
“The care and the time for someone that, you know, he didn't know me from anywhere, but to be able to take the time to sit and to talk, just to pour some words of encouragement into my life is something that has been so memorable ,” said Reynolds Lange.
Reynolds-Lange is a member of one of the five founding black families of the Eugene and Springfield area. She said that because of the work of civil rights activists like Jackson, she is now able to hold positions that will continue to advocate for people of color.
“This is where we get to pick up and continue the legacy, continue the work, continue the things in which Reverend Jesse Jackson has instilled in us, has shown us what grit and resilience truly is,” said Reynolds-Lange.
