RICHARD FOWLER: I ran into Jesse Jackson —and into history: the man who shaped a nation

A personal reflection on encountering Rev. Jesse Jackson reveals how the civil rights leader shaped American politics through his Rainbow Coalition vision that influences 2024 campaigns.

For many Americans, Jackson was a political figure — debated, dissected, sometimes polarizing. But in foreign capitals and in parts of America often overlooked or mischaracterized by the mainstream media, he occupied a different role. He was a bridge. Richard Fowler is a contributor to FOX News Media and an adjunct professor of journalism at Georgetown University. Since 2016, he has provided political and cultural analysis across Fox’s daytime and primetime programming as well the network’s Sunday morning public affairs line-up. This includes Fox News Sunday with Shannon Bream and Media Buzz with Howard Kurtz. He also appears as a guest co-host on The Five (weekdays, 5-6 PM ET).

Then I collided with him.

I looked up, and there he was: the Rev. Jesse Louis Jackson Sr.