Samuel L. Jackson Honors Rev. Jesse Jackson With Impassioned Speech At NAACP Image Awards

Donned in traditional African garb, Samuel L. Jackson took the stage at the 2026 NAACP Image Awards to honor the late Rev. Jesse Jackson’s memory. Throughout his impassioned speech, he gave an overview of the civil rights icon’s life and legacy. “We all know the story of Jesse Jackson,” Jackson began. “Born to an 18-year-old unwed mother in Greenville, South Carolina. Growing up in the Jim Crow South, getting out on a path that led him to the top of the mountain.”

“For over half a century — which is a long damn time to be on the front lines — he advocated for the poor, the disenfranchised, for those who needed work,” Jackson continued. “And he found jobs for our community in every endeavor, including entertainment.” Jackson also acknowledged how the activist inspired him in his youth. “He inspired a young man who has the same last name as his — one Samuel L. Jackson.”

“We will carry the torch he lit and keep hope alive,” Jackson Says

Jackson also made a call-to-action to all the attendees in the room to stand up for injustice, no matter how small. “All of us, in some degree or another, have spoken out, marched, protested… inspired by a man who now, I’m sure, resides with the good Lord in heaven,” Jackson said. “…Whenever we see that a wrong must be made right, all of us can ask ourselves: W.J.D. — what would Jesse do?”

“We will continue his mission,” Jackson declared toward the end of his speech. “We will carry the torch he lit and keep hope alive. And we will not be erased from this country’s history because we are somebody…” Earlier this month, Rev. Jesse Jackson passed away after battling a rare neurological disorder. He had been surrounded by family at home in Chicago, Illinois. “Our father was a servant leader — not only to our family, but to the oppressed, the voiceless, and the overlooked around the world. We shared him with the world, and in return, the world became part of our extended family,” the family wrote in a statement.