“Life is tragic simply because the earth turns and the sun inexorably rises and sets, and one day, for each of us, the sun will go down for the last, last time. Perhaps the whole root of our trouble, the human trouble, is that we will sacrifice all the beauty of our lives, will imprison ourselves in totems, taboos, crosses, blood sacrifices, steeples, mosques, races, armies, flags, nations, in order to deny the fact of death, the only fact we have. It seems to me that one ought to rejoice in the fact of death-ought to decide, indeed, to earn one’s death by confronting with passion the conundrum of life. One is responsible for life: It is the small beacon in that terrifying darkness from which we come and to which we shall return.”
― James Baldwin, The Fire Next Time
NAN mourns the passing of Mrs. Helen Jackson,mother of Rev. Jesse Jackson.1 week ago we were praying at her bedside. pic.twitter.com/gm5Dn6Xz2C
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) September 7, 2015
My loving mother MrsHelenJackson has made her transition to be with God. My family thankyou for your love&prayers. pic.twitter.com/mRTSPXxNIL — Rev Jesse Jackson Sr (@RevJJackson) September 7, 2015
“She helped a lot of people,” Jackson told The Greenville News a few days before she died. “That’s mostly what I remember about Mother is some people would call and say ‘I need my hair to be dressed, but I don’t have any money.’ She would say, ‘Come on anyhow.’”
I have no doubt that Mrs. Jackson’s affable disposition created a space for her children to dream, to dare, to know that were somebody, and to keep hope alive, no matter the circumstance.
Hug your babies and do likewise, beautiful people. Right now if possible.
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