Jesse Jackson came in second in the race for the Democratic nomination in 1988, losing to Gov. Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts, who went on to lose the general election.
But nearly seven million people voted for Mr. Jackson in the primaries, and he won 13 contests. At the Democratic National Convention in Atlanta, his speech moved many delegates to tears. It was a clarion call to take action on social justice issues, as he paid homage to the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King and recounted his own upbringing in poverty and segregation in South Carolina.
Yet he also called for unity, saying the liberal and conservative factions in the party needed to come together. “Progress will not come through boundless liberalism nor static conservatism,” he said, adding, “It takes two wings to fly.”
He closed his remarks with a sermon-like chant that would echo in future campaigns, including Barack Obama’s victory in 2008: “Keep hope alive! Keep hope alive! Keep hope alive!”
James C. McKinley Jr. is a Times editor in New York who covers breaking news.
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