Jesse Jackson visits Erie to stress the importance of voting: 'You have the power'

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Parkinson’s disease has slowed The Rev. Jesse Jackson.  

At 83 years old he is wheelchair bound and needs assistance to stand up. Jackson's words form slowly when he chooses to speak.

But one thing was clear inside a packed Second Baptist Church in east Erie on Wednesday evening — the disease has not silenced the civil rights icon and former Democratic presidential candidate.

Not even close.

“Please hear me now,” Jackson said deliberately at the end of a public “Your Vote Matters” service at Second Baptist, 757 E. 26th St., as his son, former Democratic U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., clarified what he was saying. 

“How many of you are willing to honor me and go vote tomorrow?“ Jackson said. “You have the power.”

Jackson was diagnosed with Parkinson's in 2017, but he continues to travel the country in support of social justice issues and Democratic candidates.

He came to Erie with the Nov. 5 general election less than two weeks away in large part because Erie is a bellwether county in a crucial swing state. Jackson previously visited Second Baptist in October 2000 while stumping for the Democratic presidential ticket of Al Gore and Joseph Lieberman.

Wednesday’s service, which also featured plenty of hymns, prayer, music and tributes to Jackson, focused on the Black church and the importance of voting with the Nov. 5 general election less than two weeks away.

Former President Donald Trump, the Republican nominee, and current Vice President and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris are locked in a tight race for the presidency. 

The Rev. Charles Mock, pastor at Erie's Community Baptist Church, thanked Rev. Jackson for inspiring generations of clergy and others through his decades of service, saying that to many, his name is synonymous with "honor and respect."

High-stakes election

The Jacksons left the crowd of at least 300 people with no doubt about where their support lies.  

Jesse Jackson Jr. told the audience that Harris is committed to fighting for women’s reproductive rights, improving housing and stabilizing America’s economy. 

By contrast, he said the presidential election "is not a popularity contest" and warned that if elected, Trump would put Social Security at risk and he openly doubted whether Trump truly cares about communities of color.

He encouraged young Black men, especially, to support the Harris campaign. He said people cannot afford to be apathetic about this presidential campaign and casting a ballot.

"This election is going to be won in Erie," said Jackson Jr., who added that the Harris-Trump race is especially crucial to his family because it will likely be the last presidential campaign his father will experience.

The NAACP’s Erie branch, the Urban Erie Community Development Corp., the African-American Concerned Clergy and the A. Phillip Randolph Institute are hosting the event.

At the end of the service, The Rev. Jackson — with his son's help — encouraged those who attended to engage in the kind of raucous call and response he became internationally famous for, including shouts of “I am--somebody,'' and "Keep hope alive.''

The audience enthusiastically obliged.

Contact Kevin Flowers at kflowers@timesnews.com. Follow him on X at @ETNflowers.